If someone spends $11 million supporting a cause, it would seem safe to assume they really support that cause.
True enough. But as is often the case in American politics, there's much more to the story than what appears at superficial glance.
As has been amply chronicled, Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson and wife Miriam have donated said $11 million to the super PAC supporting the Republican presidential candidacy of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Forbes puts Adelson's assets at about $21 billion, give or take a few hundred million dollars. (How cool is it to type a phrase like that?)
So, $11 million is mere lunch money for the casino owner. However, it's safe to say that $11 million through December and January was the lifeline that's literally kept Gingrich's underfunded, unorganized and hopeless nomination ambitions alive.
But now Gingrich's coffers are running so low again that he's broken off the campaign trail this week to visit California, just like President Obama. There's only one reason prominent pols visit California in election years. It isn't for Disneyland's Space Mountain. And it's sure not to campaign; Democrats don't need to and Republicans would waste their time.
Gingrich and Obama are in California to raise money, gobs of it. The Golden state is the unofficial ATM for national politicians.
But now comes word from the Wall Street Journal that next door in Nevada, Adelson is pondering another $10 mil or so in donations to Gingrich's PAC, even as the former speaker fades badly in the polls.
Now, you don't come to possess $21 billion in Nevada by making a lot of bad bets. You come to possess $21 billion in Nevada by letting other people make a lot of bad bets. So, what else is going on here, besides Adelson's affection for Newt?
After last week's caucuses in Maine, Colorado and Minnesota and the meaningless Missouri primary (the first won by Mitt Romney, the other three captured by Rick Santorum), there's not a lot of February action in the Republican race before the important Arizona and Michigan primaries on Feb. 28. And then 10 states on Super Tuesday, March 6.
So, what does $11 million, plus perhaps $10 million more, accomplish?
1) It keeps a competitive Newt in the race.
2) More impportantly, it keeps the number of big-name contenders at three (yes, four counting Ron Paul, who's doing his own fundraising money bombs).
Theoretically, it's possible that Adelson is a philosophical disciple of Sarah Palin, who says she believes the longer a competitive GOP race goes on, the stronger will be the eventual nominee, especially if he's a bona fide conservative. After all, Obama and Hillary "Barack Obama, you should be ashamed!" Clinton ferociously went at each other into June in 2008 and a Dem still won in November.
Theoretically, that could be what Adelson is thinking.
However, he could also be thinking that by financially propping up Gingrich with what is to Adelson minor money to match Santorum's donor bonanza last week, he's keeping it essentially a three-man race. And who's the real beneficiary of that?
Neither Santorum nor Gingrich are really fiscal conservatives. They've never been executives, which five of the last six presidents were before moving into the White House. Nor after long congressional and consulting careers are they real D.C. outsiders, free of financial connections to that tainted city of monuments.
But somehow both Gingrich and Santorum are attracting the party's very conservative vote. Put another way, Gingrich and Santorum are splitting the same crowd. And this benefits Romney, who has his own money and national operation carefully-constructed over years.
So, in this case, the adage about following the money would steer you in the wrong direction. The potential $21 million is really a bank shot for Adelson, going to help Gingrich prevent Santorum from beating Romney.
We'll see if it works. But pretty clever.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
get WOMEN to rate your photos for you
From the Okcupid Labs – Check Out This Super Cool App
By: Dave M. | February 16, 2012 | Internet dating profile, internet dating
0digg
okcupid logo 285x300 From the Okcupid Labs Check Out This Super Cool AppThis is AWESOME.
The boys at okcupid just came out with this super cool web based app called MyBestFace that you can use to get WOMEN to rate your photos for you and I thought you’d dig it
You can use it here:
http://www.okcupid.com/mybestface
What’s cool is they rate your pictures against each other and you can see which one women find more attractive.
AND… It also tells you what kind of people liked your photos: overachievers, deviants, introverts, Divas, whatever.
This is awesome because you can just take the best photos you get from this okcupid thing, then use them in your profiles to get more women messaging you back and messaging you FIRST.
(no point in guessing anymore right?)
Big thanks to the math and engineering wizards at okcupid for coming up with this cool app (and making it free for us).
By: Dave M. | February 16, 2012 | Internet dating profile, internet dating
0digg
okcupid logo 285x300 From the Okcupid Labs Check Out This Super Cool AppThis is AWESOME.
The boys at okcupid just came out with this super cool web based app called MyBestFace that you can use to get WOMEN to rate your photos for you and I thought you’d dig it
You can use it here:
http://www.okcupid.com/mybestface
What’s cool is they rate your pictures against each other and you can see which one women find more attractive.
AND… It also tells you what kind of people liked your photos: overachievers, deviants, introverts, Divas, whatever.
This is awesome because you can just take the best photos you get from this okcupid thing, then use them in your profiles to get more women messaging you back and messaging you FIRST.
(no point in guessing anymore right?)
Big thanks to the math and engineering wizards at okcupid for coming up with this cool app (and making it free for us).
The $100 Billion Facebook Question
The $100 Billion Facebook Question
Facebook’s long-awaited initial public offering filing has landed, and the company is likely to see the largest market debut ever. And while retail investors are expected to gobble up Facebook shares, experts at Wharton point out that there is no guarantee the social network giant will be a long-term winner on the stock market.
First of all, it’s unclear whether Facebook can grow into its estimated valuation of roughly $75 billion to $100 billion, says Luke Taylor, a Wharton finance professor.
On the surface, Facebook, which will trade under the ticker FB, looks like a juggernaut. The company has 845 million monthly active users, who contribute 250 million photo uploads and 2.7 billion comments a day. The company’s financial picture also looks good. For the year ended December 31, Facebook reported net income of $1 billion on revenues of $3.71 billion. In 2010, the firm saw net income of $606 million on revenues of $1.97 billion.
It’s not certain when Facebook will actually go public, but press reports estimate that late April or May is a likely target. Taylor notes that Facebook’s debut prospects will largely depend on how the Nasdaq trades and other market conditions. (The Nasdaq index is often viewed as a proxy for the tech industry.) How will the company’s shares trade ultimately? Facebook is likely to capture the imagination of retail investors, but so-called “smart investors” may pare back demand. “It’s not automatically true that Facebook will soar,” Taylor points out.
What will Facebook’s long-term profits look like? According to Taylor, companies often show strong profits heading into an IPO, but then they drop afterward. He adds that there is a lot of debate about whether the profit drop is related to less innovation or just the higher expenses that come with being a public company. In its IPO prospectus, Facebook cites Sarbanes-Oxley compliance costs as a potential profit margin hit.
Another pitfall would be what Taylor calls “short-termism.” Managers of newly public companies “often become myopic and focus on short-term numbers. That’s a risk of going public.” In a previous Knowledge@Wharton story about Facebook’s future on the open market, Wharton management professor Lawrence Hrebiniak cited a similar risk. “The challenge for Facebook will be to keep top executives focused on strategy and not regulation.”
In a letter to potential shareholders, CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that “Facebook was not originally founded to be a company. We’ve always cared primarily about our social mission, the services we’re building and the people who use them. This is a different approach for a public company to take.”
Lastly, the company may feel the effects of management turnover, as some managers cash out and the leadership team looks to hire seasoned executives to help steer the company while it matures. “Facebook’s IPO will be a massive liquidity event for thousands of employees,” Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach said in the Knowledge@Wharton article. “Many of them have already monetized at least some of their stock options through private secondary market activity, but the IPO will still be a massive wealth transfer. It’s difficult to retain employees who have already made millions of dollars on their stock options.”
Facebook’s long-awaited initial public offering filing has landed, and the company is likely to see the largest market debut ever. And while retail investors are expected to gobble up Facebook shares, experts at Wharton point out that there is no guarantee the social network giant will be a long-term winner on the stock market.
First of all, it’s unclear whether Facebook can grow into its estimated valuation of roughly $75 billion to $100 billion, says Luke Taylor, a Wharton finance professor.
On the surface, Facebook, which will trade under the ticker FB, looks like a juggernaut. The company has 845 million monthly active users, who contribute 250 million photo uploads and 2.7 billion comments a day. The company’s financial picture also looks good. For the year ended December 31, Facebook reported net income of $1 billion on revenues of $3.71 billion. In 2010, the firm saw net income of $606 million on revenues of $1.97 billion.
It’s not certain when Facebook will actually go public, but press reports estimate that late April or May is a likely target. Taylor notes that Facebook’s debut prospects will largely depend on how the Nasdaq trades and other market conditions. (The Nasdaq index is often viewed as a proxy for the tech industry.) How will the company’s shares trade ultimately? Facebook is likely to capture the imagination of retail investors, but so-called “smart investors” may pare back demand. “It’s not automatically true that Facebook will soar,” Taylor points out.
What will Facebook’s long-term profits look like? According to Taylor, companies often show strong profits heading into an IPO, but then they drop afterward. He adds that there is a lot of debate about whether the profit drop is related to less innovation or just the higher expenses that come with being a public company. In its IPO prospectus, Facebook cites Sarbanes-Oxley compliance costs as a potential profit margin hit.
Another pitfall would be what Taylor calls “short-termism.” Managers of newly public companies “often become myopic and focus on short-term numbers. That’s a risk of going public.” In a previous Knowledge@Wharton story about Facebook’s future on the open market, Wharton management professor Lawrence Hrebiniak cited a similar risk. “The challenge for Facebook will be to keep top executives focused on strategy and not regulation.”
In a letter to potential shareholders, CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that “Facebook was not originally founded to be a company. We’ve always cared primarily about our social mission, the services we’re building and the people who use them. This is a different approach for a public company to take.”
Lastly, the company may feel the effects of management turnover, as some managers cash out and the leadership team looks to hire seasoned executives to help steer the company while it matures. “Facebook’s IPO will be a massive liquidity event for thousands of employees,” Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach said in the Knowledge@Wharton article. “Many of them have already monetized at least some of their stock options through private secondary market activity, but the IPO will still be a massive wealth transfer. It’s difficult to retain employees who have already made millions of dollars on their stock options.”
Cupid on mark thanks to latest mobile apps
Cupid on mark thanks to latest mobile apps
By Brendan Lynch | Tuesday, February 14, 2012 | boston herald | Technology Coverage
Photo
If you’re still looking for a valentine, there are apps for that.
The $2 billion online dating industry is even hitting the bar scene as more and more younger users turn to mobile apps to connect with other singles.
“I was sitting at a bar next to two guys checking online dating sites on their phones,” Boston dating and relationship consultant Sara Sharnoff told the Herald. “There’s absolutely a shift, especially in Boston, where you have a lot of young people.”
Sharnoff said online dating is by far the biggest part of her business — helping people choose a site, write a profile and manage the process.
OKCupid.com, a free, New York-based dating website that skews young and casual, launched its mobile app last year with a feature called Locals.
“It uses location to tell you who is close by and set you up,” said CEO Sam Yagan. “But it’s not just an app that alerts you when hot girls are around.”
Half of OKCupid’s users log in through the mobile app and about two-thirds of them use Locals, Yagan said. The app also has a feature called Broadcast, which Yagan described as “Twitter for dating.”
“You can say, ‘I’m going to watch the Celtics [team stats] game tonight wherever, and I’d love to have some company,’ ” he said. “It’s almost not even a date. It’s just, ‘Hey, let’s just hang out.’ ”
Industry research group IBISWorld estimates the U.S. online dating market at $1.9 billion, with more than 14,000 businesses generating $374 million in profit. InterActiveCorp, which owns giants Match.com and OKCupid, commands a 25.7 percent market share, while eHarmony users make up 15.6 percent of online daters.
Fast-rising mobile dating already comprises 15.8 percent of the total market.
“The online dating world is rapidly realizing that mobile is going to be a ‘first screen’ for them,” said Adam Towvim, vice president of Cambridge-based mobile ad firm Jumptap, who is speaking at iDate 2012, an industry conference in California in June.
Arvind Mishra, senior director of worldwide product management at eHarmony, said about 30 percent of new users are signing up through the mobile app.
Mishra said eHarmony’s users tend to value privacy, so the company focuses its design on conveying a methodical approach to online matchmaking rather than a casual experience.
“We are thinking about location and we probably will do it at some point in the future, but we need to do it in a way that makes sense for our users,” he said.
By Brendan Lynch | Tuesday, February 14, 2012 | boston herald | Technology Coverage
Photo
If you’re still looking for a valentine, there are apps for that.
The $2 billion online dating industry is even hitting the bar scene as more and more younger users turn to mobile apps to connect with other singles.
“I was sitting at a bar next to two guys checking online dating sites on their phones,” Boston dating and relationship consultant Sara Sharnoff told the Herald. “There’s absolutely a shift, especially in Boston, where you have a lot of young people.”
Sharnoff said online dating is by far the biggest part of her business — helping people choose a site, write a profile and manage the process.
OKCupid.com, a free, New York-based dating website that skews young and casual, launched its mobile app last year with a feature called Locals.
“It uses location to tell you who is close by and set you up,” said CEO Sam Yagan. “But it’s not just an app that alerts you when hot girls are around.”
Half of OKCupid’s users log in through the mobile app and about two-thirds of them use Locals, Yagan said. The app also has a feature called Broadcast, which Yagan described as “Twitter for dating.”
“You can say, ‘I’m going to watch the Celtics [team stats] game tonight wherever, and I’d love to have some company,’ ” he said. “It’s almost not even a date. It’s just, ‘Hey, let’s just hang out.’ ”
Industry research group IBISWorld estimates the U.S. online dating market at $1.9 billion, with more than 14,000 businesses generating $374 million in profit. InterActiveCorp, which owns giants Match.com and OKCupid, commands a 25.7 percent market share, while eHarmony users make up 15.6 percent of online daters.
Fast-rising mobile dating already comprises 15.8 percent of the total market.
“The online dating world is rapidly realizing that mobile is going to be a ‘first screen’ for them,” said Adam Towvim, vice president of Cambridge-based mobile ad firm Jumptap, who is speaking at iDate 2012, an industry conference in California in June.
Arvind Mishra, senior director of worldwide product management at eHarmony, said about 30 percent of new users are signing up through the mobile app.
Mishra said eHarmony’s users tend to value privacy, so the company focuses its design on conveying a methodical approach to online matchmaking rather than a casual experience.
“We are thinking about location and we probably will do it at some point in the future, but we need to do it in a way that makes sense for our users,” he said.
True Tales Of Love And Startups: Why You Should Date (Even Marry) An Entrepreneur
True Tales Of Love And Startups: Why You Should Date (Even Marry) An Entrepreneur
Lisa Hodes Rosen and Seth Rosen
By Lisa Hodes Rosen
This guest post is a part of a series on the Work/Life balance of young entrepreneurs: Surviving the Startup: Building a Business While Living A Life.
My grandparents were married for 66 remarkable years. As neighbors in Brooklyn, they met at the tender age of 13 and wed five years later. Together they survived The Great Depression, my grandfather’s Army service in World War II, three children and one global marketing business, started by my grandfather, an entrepreneur, after he left the Army and then dropped out of law school. There was little about life that they didn’t claim to understand. Well, actually, there was one thing: why their 30-something well-educated and ambitious granddaughter was still single. Despite my whining best efforts, I could not articulate the very simple tenet accepted by more recent generations as a fundamental truth:
Dating is hard.
Blind dates, coffee dates, JDates, Skype dates, broken dates, haughty dates, sloppy dates, aggressive dates, cheap dates, boring dates, better-off-forgotten dates. And God help you if it’s a good date… then the real games begin. How do you let someone know you’re interested without looking crazy? Social media and smartphones have seriously complicated what was once the simple act of courtship. To make matters worse, the 40-hour work week is practically extinct thanks to our services economy. Having dated (or attempted to date) many different types, I can say with confidence that almost nobody works nine to five anymore. Simply put, we are all very busy.
Given that these challenges cut across professions, I wonder why entrepreneurs have been branded with a scarlet “E” when it comes to dating. In many cases entrepreneurs actually make wonderful significant others, and – dare I say it – spouses. How do I know? I married one.
Don’t get me wrong, everything you have heard about entrepreneurs is true. They are egocentric, self-righteous workaholics who are enslaved by their vision. And man, are they poor. But, perversely, these characteristics actually make them really great (life) partners. Let me explain.
Entrepreneurs want to change the world – and that’s hot.
My husband, Seth, and his co-founder, Mike, both started their careers in real estate, but for years talked about starting a company together. In 2009, after business school, Seth became an avid consumer of custom items like furniture and clothing, and he soon realized that there was no central online marketplace to find custom artisans. He called Mike and several months later CustomMade.com was born. The only problem? Neither had internet experience. Well, that isn’t entirely true: they had both used the internet before. No matter their (dis)qualifications, they set out to change the retail buying paradigm in favor of custom goods. The mere thought that they might be able to fundamentally alter consumer behavior forms the foundation of their commitment to the company (though, in fairness, so does the fear of failure).
If confidence is attractive, then an unbridled belief that one will change the world is striking. It is also incredibly motivating. Not a day goes by without Seth challenging me to think bigger and to work smarter. When I doubt myself, which is more often than I care to admit, he reminds me of CustomMade’s humble beginnings: Seth and Mike thought they could build a marketplace website in a weekend for $25,000. That was three years and $3 million dollars ago. They were very, very wrong, but they figured out how to solve some big problems with guts and horsepower, which are the drivers for many successful people. How lucky I am to wake up to that inspiration every morning.
Entrepreneurs don’t have time to play games.
Everybody says it, He’s Just Not That Into You codified it, but it is hard to believe: a good relationship should be easy with no guessing games. When Seth and I started dating, I was working at a big law firm billing 2,200 hours a year. I was on a big toxic tort case led by a partner who carried an ice ax around the office as a symbol of our litigation strategy. Despite this ball and chain, I still found time to check personal email every so often to see whether my crush-of-the-moment had contacted me yet or trading flirtatious but annoyingly ambiguous texts. Playing The Dating Game was my one non-billable indulgence besides eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom.
Happily, Seth robbed me of The Dating Game drama. As busy as I was, he was even busier trying to figure out his new business. He didn’t have time for any distractions and explicitly said so. The rules were very clear: if he wanted to talk to me, he called. If he wanted to see me, he asked. If he was busy but wanted a raincheck, he said so and he found a time that worked for both of us. And the same was expected from me. There were a few occasions when he accidentally double-booked a date and a business meeting, but in those cases he arranged it so he could do both (but separately), or if he thought my legal input would be useful he brought me along and then treated me to ice cream or drinks afterwards. There were no mixed messages – no “is-he-or-isn’t-he” confusion – because there was no place for it. It doesn’t get easier than that.
Entrepreneurs are good decision-makers.
By the time Seth and I moved in together, I had watched many friends go to neck-breaking lengths to get their significant other to propose. Frankly, it scared me. I didn’t want to resort to an ultimatum or a hit man to force him to put a ring on it. While effective, it just didn’t seem romantic.
Shortly after I settled into his apartment, I did what I thought was the responsible thing to relieve any real or perceived pressure by telling him that we should probably wait a year before we breathed a word about getting married. I had choreographed a whole song and dance about why it was important to make sure that he and I worked as couple living in the same space before thinking about the next step. He nodded in agreement, but didn’t say much. Soon after I found out why: he already had the ring.
Several of my friends were just as stunned as I was at the effortless proposal. What was different here? It wasn’t that Seth loved me any more than their husbands love them. The difference lies in the decision-making process. Everyday Seth has to make decisions that significantly affect the direction of his business. When he makes a decision, he closes the matter and moves on. He rarely revisits a decision for second-guessing. He makes life decisions in much the same way. Once he knew that he wanted to marry me, there was nothing to discuss. He bought a (custom made) engagement ring that he knew I would like and proposed. No arm-twisting necessary.
Entrepreneurs think outside of the box.
Many entrepreneurs are poor, and Seth was no different. For the first two years Seth did not take a salary. He made zero. Zilch. Nothing. I had just changed jobs from a big law firm to an environmental nonprofit, taking a 75% pay cut. And we were planning a wedding. We had to make some sacrifices in wedding planning, but where? Seth decided to tackle the budget cuts because he already had some experience spending scarce funds creatively. CustomMade is always racing against its bank account. It needs to make the biggest bang for the least amount of bucks, which was precisely our goal with the wedding. As an added benefit, Seth had also learned the fine art of sticking to a budget, something his more impulsive bride was not very good at.
Most girls fantasize about their wedding days, and I was no different. As a history buff, my dream was always to have grand affair in a Newport mansion or a castle in Europe. Reality was clearly dictating otherwise. It was Seth who pieced together our master plan over coffee. He had contacts at the Langham Hotel (where we met) who would work with our budget if we had the wedding at an off-peak time. The Langham is also famous for its weekend brunch. Thankfully, brunch is much cheaper than dinner, so we could stay on budget. Finally, we agreed that a small jazz band would be more appropriate than a 10-piece party band on a Sunday afternoon – and cheaper, too. An affordable Sunday afternoon jazz brunch at the historic Boston hotel where we met? It sounded like a dream to me.
Life is never boring with an entrepreneur.
Since starting CustomMade, we’ve been involved in several litigations, re-built the website three times, raised money four times, changed the business model five times, and survived The Great Recession.
There is always something unexpected around the corner. Take the day in the fall of 2010 when Seth marched into my office, a smirk painted across his face. “I have a gift for you,” he said. I responded with a smile. My birthday wasn’t for another week, but gifts always seem to burn a hole in his pocket. He handed me a large envelope and stood over my desk as I opened it, the smile fading from my face. It was a copy of a complaint that had been filed in state court. A former independent contractor had just sued CustomMade, Seth and Mike. The claim was $600,000, an order of magnitude more than we had in the bank. I thought it had been unusually quiet in the office in recent weeks.
For the next six months we fought a frivolous lawsuit. I spent several nights editing briefs, and, while it was exhausting because his company essentially became my second job, it was a storm that Seth and I weathered together. Eventually the plaintiff dismissed his lawsuit and his lawyer withdrew from the case, but not before we spent a ridiculous amount of money on legal fees and forensic consultants.
As soon as the lawsuit wrapped, a fundraising round began. There would be no rest for the weary. CustomMade needed cash and it needed it quickly. “Strap on your seatbelt,” Seth said to me one day. “This is going to get bumpy.” I couldn’t help but laugh. He was just telling me this now?
Although he doesn’t always say it, I know that Seth appreciates my dedication to vigorously defending and supporting his business. Sometimes I think back to my grandparents’ stories about the difficult times they faced as my grandfather struggled to build his business. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that I ended up with an entrepreneur. Maybe I’m attracted to the struggle and sacrifice.
…Or maybe I’m on to something, and entrepreneurs really do make relationships easy and life exciting.
Lisa Rosen is an environmental lawyer by day, and a startup spouse by night. Follow her on Twitter at @Entreprenrswife.
Lisa Hodes Rosen and Seth Rosen
By Lisa Hodes Rosen
This guest post is a part of a series on the Work/Life balance of young entrepreneurs: Surviving the Startup: Building a Business While Living A Life.
My grandparents were married for 66 remarkable years. As neighbors in Brooklyn, they met at the tender age of 13 and wed five years later. Together they survived The Great Depression, my grandfather’s Army service in World War II, three children and one global marketing business, started by my grandfather, an entrepreneur, after he left the Army and then dropped out of law school. There was little about life that they didn’t claim to understand. Well, actually, there was one thing: why their 30-something well-educated and ambitious granddaughter was still single. Despite my whining best efforts, I could not articulate the very simple tenet accepted by more recent generations as a fundamental truth:
Dating is hard.
Blind dates, coffee dates, JDates, Skype dates, broken dates, haughty dates, sloppy dates, aggressive dates, cheap dates, boring dates, better-off-forgotten dates. And God help you if it’s a good date… then the real games begin. How do you let someone know you’re interested without looking crazy? Social media and smartphones have seriously complicated what was once the simple act of courtship. To make matters worse, the 40-hour work week is practically extinct thanks to our services economy. Having dated (or attempted to date) many different types, I can say with confidence that almost nobody works nine to five anymore. Simply put, we are all very busy.
Given that these challenges cut across professions, I wonder why entrepreneurs have been branded with a scarlet “E” when it comes to dating. In many cases entrepreneurs actually make wonderful significant others, and – dare I say it – spouses. How do I know? I married one.
Don’t get me wrong, everything you have heard about entrepreneurs is true. They are egocentric, self-righteous workaholics who are enslaved by their vision. And man, are they poor. But, perversely, these characteristics actually make them really great (life) partners. Let me explain.
Entrepreneurs want to change the world – and that’s hot.
My husband, Seth, and his co-founder, Mike, both started their careers in real estate, but for years talked about starting a company together. In 2009, after business school, Seth became an avid consumer of custom items like furniture and clothing, and he soon realized that there was no central online marketplace to find custom artisans. He called Mike and several months later CustomMade.com was born. The only problem? Neither had internet experience. Well, that isn’t entirely true: they had both used the internet before. No matter their (dis)qualifications, they set out to change the retail buying paradigm in favor of custom goods. The mere thought that they might be able to fundamentally alter consumer behavior forms the foundation of their commitment to the company (though, in fairness, so does the fear of failure).
If confidence is attractive, then an unbridled belief that one will change the world is striking. It is also incredibly motivating. Not a day goes by without Seth challenging me to think bigger and to work smarter. When I doubt myself, which is more often than I care to admit, he reminds me of CustomMade’s humble beginnings: Seth and Mike thought they could build a marketplace website in a weekend for $25,000. That was three years and $3 million dollars ago. They were very, very wrong, but they figured out how to solve some big problems with guts and horsepower, which are the drivers for many successful people. How lucky I am to wake up to that inspiration every morning.
Entrepreneurs don’t have time to play games.
Everybody says it, He’s Just Not That Into You codified it, but it is hard to believe: a good relationship should be easy with no guessing games. When Seth and I started dating, I was working at a big law firm billing 2,200 hours a year. I was on a big toxic tort case led by a partner who carried an ice ax around the office as a symbol of our litigation strategy. Despite this ball and chain, I still found time to check personal email every so often to see whether my crush-of-the-moment had contacted me yet or trading flirtatious but annoyingly ambiguous texts. Playing The Dating Game was my one non-billable indulgence besides eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom.
Happily, Seth robbed me of The Dating Game drama. As busy as I was, he was even busier trying to figure out his new business. He didn’t have time for any distractions and explicitly said so. The rules were very clear: if he wanted to talk to me, he called. If he wanted to see me, he asked. If he was busy but wanted a raincheck, he said so and he found a time that worked for both of us. And the same was expected from me. There were a few occasions when he accidentally double-booked a date and a business meeting, but in those cases he arranged it so he could do both (but separately), or if he thought my legal input would be useful he brought me along and then treated me to ice cream or drinks afterwards. There were no mixed messages – no “is-he-or-isn’t-he” confusion – because there was no place for it. It doesn’t get easier than that.
Entrepreneurs are good decision-makers.
By the time Seth and I moved in together, I had watched many friends go to neck-breaking lengths to get their significant other to propose. Frankly, it scared me. I didn’t want to resort to an ultimatum or a hit man to force him to put a ring on it. While effective, it just didn’t seem romantic.
Shortly after I settled into his apartment, I did what I thought was the responsible thing to relieve any real or perceived pressure by telling him that we should probably wait a year before we breathed a word about getting married. I had choreographed a whole song and dance about why it was important to make sure that he and I worked as couple living in the same space before thinking about the next step. He nodded in agreement, but didn’t say much. Soon after I found out why: he already had the ring.
Several of my friends were just as stunned as I was at the effortless proposal. What was different here? It wasn’t that Seth loved me any more than their husbands love them. The difference lies in the decision-making process. Everyday Seth has to make decisions that significantly affect the direction of his business. When he makes a decision, he closes the matter and moves on. He rarely revisits a decision for second-guessing. He makes life decisions in much the same way. Once he knew that he wanted to marry me, there was nothing to discuss. He bought a (custom made) engagement ring that he knew I would like and proposed. No arm-twisting necessary.
Entrepreneurs think outside of the box.
Many entrepreneurs are poor, and Seth was no different. For the first two years Seth did not take a salary. He made zero. Zilch. Nothing. I had just changed jobs from a big law firm to an environmental nonprofit, taking a 75% pay cut. And we were planning a wedding. We had to make some sacrifices in wedding planning, but where? Seth decided to tackle the budget cuts because he already had some experience spending scarce funds creatively. CustomMade is always racing against its bank account. It needs to make the biggest bang for the least amount of bucks, which was precisely our goal with the wedding. As an added benefit, Seth had also learned the fine art of sticking to a budget, something his more impulsive bride was not very good at.
Most girls fantasize about their wedding days, and I was no different. As a history buff, my dream was always to have grand affair in a Newport mansion or a castle in Europe. Reality was clearly dictating otherwise. It was Seth who pieced together our master plan over coffee. He had contacts at the Langham Hotel (where we met) who would work with our budget if we had the wedding at an off-peak time. The Langham is also famous for its weekend brunch. Thankfully, brunch is much cheaper than dinner, so we could stay on budget. Finally, we agreed that a small jazz band would be more appropriate than a 10-piece party band on a Sunday afternoon – and cheaper, too. An affordable Sunday afternoon jazz brunch at the historic Boston hotel where we met? It sounded like a dream to me.
Life is never boring with an entrepreneur.
Since starting CustomMade, we’ve been involved in several litigations, re-built the website three times, raised money four times, changed the business model five times, and survived The Great Recession.
There is always something unexpected around the corner. Take the day in the fall of 2010 when Seth marched into my office, a smirk painted across his face. “I have a gift for you,” he said. I responded with a smile. My birthday wasn’t for another week, but gifts always seem to burn a hole in his pocket. He handed me a large envelope and stood over my desk as I opened it, the smile fading from my face. It was a copy of a complaint that had been filed in state court. A former independent contractor had just sued CustomMade, Seth and Mike. The claim was $600,000, an order of magnitude more than we had in the bank. I thought it had been unusually quiet in the office in recent weeks.
For the next six months we fought a frivolous lawsuit. I spent several nights editing briefs, and, while it was exhausting because his company essentially became my second job, it was a storm that Seth and I weathered together. Eventually the plaintiff dismissed his lawsuit and his lawyer withdrew from the case, but not before we spent a ridiculous amount of money on legal fees and forensic consultants.
As soon as the lawsuit wrapped, a fundraising round began. There would be no rest for the weary. CustomMade needed cash and it needed it quickly. “Strap on your seatbelt,” Seth said to me one day. “This is going to get bumpy.” I couldn’t help but laugh. He was just telling me this now?
Although he doesn’t always say it, I know that Seth appreciates my dedication to vigorously defending and supporting his business. Sometimes I think back to my grandparents’ stories about the difficult times they faced as my grandfather struggled to build his business. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that I ended up with an entrepreneur. Maybe I’m attracted to the struggle and sacrifice.
…Or maybe I’m on to something, and entrepreneurs really do make relationships easy and life exciting.
Lisa Rosen is an environmental lawyer by day, and a startup spouse by night. Follow her on Twitter at @Entreprenrswife.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
WordPress Conference Roudup
Just returned from a wordpress conference in Boston. Here are some of what I learned:
* JQuery: selector by id is really fast, selector by class is fast, selector of body or head is simple.
* Buddy Press
- Use BB Press 2.0 for forums rather than Simple Press (because it has same functionality to user but better integrated admin)
- BB Press would complement Wishlist Member if I wish to charge for content and protect certain content
- BB Press plays more nicely with standard wordpress themes
- Buddy Press innately uses WordPress MultiSite so that each end user stores data on a separate instance without a
having the interface of the wordpress backend (that was the core functionality)
- Buddy Press groups can be associated with content (but there is no protection or monetization built-in)
- Buddy Press is aware that it is missing capability to address multi-media
- Buddy Press uses custom posts
- Buddy Press best documentation is the source code
- Buddy Press has free support on the buddypress.org forum
- Buddy Press would seem suitable as one potential solution to an music website (but missing certain pieces)
- Buddy Press believes it is big enough that they don't know whether they are compatible with other plugins such as WP E-commerce, but they think they are.
- Buddy Press focuses on custom profiles for users
* Themes
- Build website without Javascript/JQuery with the structure of keyword rich URLs with separate pages for separate keywords
- Use a gateway page with links to each of their children if javascript is missing, but shows the children in a slider if has js
* Media Handling
- Need to upload to specific media library location
- Need to enable playing and/or downloading from that location
- payment infrastructure for selective digital purchases
- Need to host media on a server
* Custom Posts
- Can configure in PHP using Wordpress logic specific fields for artists such as mp3 or images
- Does not require buddypress
- Can separately create bands who have music (without associating members to bands)
- Tag the posts with relevant sorting fields
- Can pull content from blog such as mp3 attachment or lyrics in a blog post based on tags
* Moodle vs. Wordpress
- Moodle has way to track grades
- Moodle has assessment structure such as quizes and tests
- Community of Moodle administrators is much smaller (e.g. no moodle conferences)
- Growth of plugins slower, less vibrant community
- Wordpress supports better user to user interaction
- Moodle has profiles and forum software competitive to buddypress
* Mobile Devices
- Core issue seems to be using relative numbers in the css (keep the long decimals)
* Multisite
- Set up specific set of plugins and themes that are enabled on the superadmin will be inherited by children
- Installed plugins can be available for children
(Question: can a child site have a different theme?)
* Lead Generation
- Focus on industry-wide research questions/what customer is searching for...
* Multi-Voice Blog
- Blog contributors need to register at least with email so you can ban them or encourage them to contribute more
RSS feeds will transmit only the content of posts, not the headers or footers. Similarly, content scrapers.
wordcamp, Wordpress, jquery, buddypress, bb press, inbound marketing, themes, education, mobile
* JQuery: selector by id is really fast, selector by class is fast, selector of body or head is simple.
* Buddy Press
- Use BB Press 2.0 for forums rather than Simple Press (because it has same functionality to user but better integrated admin)
- BB Press would complement Wishlist Member if I wish to charge for content and protect certain content
- BB Press plays more nicely with standard wordpress themes
- Buddy Press innately uses WordPress MultiSite so that each end user stores data on a separate instance without a
having the interface of the wordpress backend (that was the core functionality)
- Buddy Press groups can be associated with content (but there is no protection or monetization built-in)
- Buddy Press is aware that it is missing capability to address multi-media
- Buddy Press uses custom posts
- Buddy Press best documentation is the source code
- Buddy Press has free support on the buddypress.org forum
- Buddy Press would seem suitable as one potential solution to an music website (but missing certain pieces)
- Buddy Press believes it is big enough that they don't know whether they are compatible with other plugins such as WP E-commerce, but they think they are.
- Buddy Press focuses on custom profiles for users
* Themes
- Build website without Javascript/JQuery with the structure of keyword rich URLs with separate pages for separate keywords
- Use a gateway page with links to each of their children if javascript is missing, but shows the children in a slider if has js
* Media Handling
- Need to upload to specific media library location
- Need to enable playing and/or downloading from that location
- payment infrastructure for selective digital purchases
- Need to host media on a server
* Custom Posts
- Can configure in PHP using Wordpress logic specific fields for artists such as mp3 or images
- Does not require buddypress
- Can separately create bands who have music (without associating members to bands)
- Tag the posts with relevant sorting fields
- Can pull content from blog such as mp3 attachment or lyrics in a blog post based on tags
* Moodle vs. Wordpress
- Moodle has way to track grades
- Moodle has assessment structure such as quizes and tests
- Community of Moodle administrators is much smaller (e.g. no moodle conferences)
- Growth of plugins slower, less vibrant community
- Wordpress supports better user to user interaction
- Moodle has profiles and forum software competitive to buddypress
* Mobile Devices
- Core issue seems to be using relative numbers in the css (keep the long decimals)
* Multisite
- Set up specific set of plugins and themes that are enabled on the superadmin will be inherited by children
- Installed plugins can be available for children
(Question: can a child site have a different theme?)
* Lead Generation
- Focus on industry-wide research questions/what customer is searching for...
* Multi-Voice Blog
- Blog contributors need to register at least with email so you can ban them or encourage them to contribute more
RSS feeds will transmit only the content of posts, not the headers or footers. Similarly, content scrapers.
wordcamp, Wordpress, jquery, buddypress, bb press, inbound marketing, themes, education, mobile
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wordpress Theme, Design and Content Organization
My tendency is towards: a more conservative look where the information is more important than a lot of pop and flash, and the information itself is more important and timeless, then having your posts referenced by category is the best choice.
Content: what information the user will need to know, you have to consider what information you are willing to share with them. That information may include how to contact you, what the purpose of the site is, who you are, and what your expertise is
About Us, Contact Us, Sign Up for Our Mailing List.
Need to create an opt-in incentive for the mailing list. My current thinking is "Why Destiny's Child Might not be the Best Bar Mitzvah Tutor".
Write down the possible Page titles and describe the information you are willing to share online on each Page:
* Bar Mitzvah Tutoring Team
* Bar Mitzvah Software Platform
- describe what platform current does and why to use it
* Work Harder Have Fewer Students or buy our platform
* Selecting a Bar Mitzvah Tutor
* How to get software
* Remote video teaching
- general subjects and titles
paragraph description
Content: what information the user will need to know, you have to consider what information you are willing to share with them. That information may include how to contact you, what the purpose of the site is, who you are, and what your expertise is
About Us, Contact Us, Sign Up for Our Mailing List.
Need to create an opt-in incentive for the mailing list. My current thinking is "Why Destiny's Child Might not be the Best Bar Mitzvah Tutor".
Write down the possible Page titles and describe the information you are willing to share online on each Page:
* Bar Mitzvah Tutoring Team
* Bar Mitzvah Software Platform
- describe what platform current does and why to use it
* Work Harder Have Fewer Students or buy our platform
* Selecting a Bar Mitzvah Tutor
* How to get software
* Remote video teaching
- general subjects and titles
paragraph description
Mission Statement: Purpose of My Site
What am I going to do with this?
* Site for B'nai mitzvah parents and their children to learn about the process of becoming B'nai mitzvah.
* Site for Jewish Cantors to share their needs, desires, fears, and frustrations
Who is going to read this?
* B'nai Mitzvah parents and their children
* Jewish Cantors, Rabbis, and Synagogue members
What kinds of information will I be posting?
* Introductory information to parents and their children educating them about Judaism, Torah, and the B'nai Mitzvah process
* Pedagogical and technology information for jewish Cantors teaching them why they should send people to our website
Why am I doing this?
* Because I believe in Jewish education and the power of my software to transform it based on this pedagogical approach
Who am I doing this for?
* Jewish Continuity
* Parents
* Children
* Teachers
* Cantors
* Rabbis
How often am I going to be posting and adding information?
* I should do this every week.
* Site for B'nai mitzvah parents and their children to learn about the process of becoming B'nai mitzvah.
* Site for Jewish Cantors to share their needs, desires, fears, and frustrations
Who is going to read this?
* B'nai Mitzvah parents and their children
* Jewish Cantors, Rabbis, and Synagogue members
What kinds of information will I be posting?
* Introductory information to parents and their children educating them about Judaism, Torah, and the B'nai Mitzvah process
* Pedagogical and technology information for jewish Cantors teaching them why they should send people to our website
Why am I doing this?
* Because I believe in Jewish education and the power of my software to transform it based on this pedagogical approach
Who am I doing this for?
* Jewish Continuity
* Parents
* Children
* Teachers
* Cantors
* Rabbis
How often am I going to be posting and adding information?
* I should do this every week.
Wordpress:purpose for your site, Mission Statement
On a piece of notebook paper, or whatever is lying around, describe your site. Take five to twenty minutes to come up with a purpose for your site, or better yet, call it your Mission Statement.
Answer the following questions:
What am I going to do with this?
Who is going to read this?
What kinds of information will I be posting?
Why am I doing this?
Who am I doing this for?
How often am I going to be posting and adding information?
Answer the following questions:
What am I going to do with this?
Who is going to read this?
What kinds of information will I be posting?
Why am I doing this?
Who am I doing this for?
How often am I going to be posting and adding information?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Optimization of Domains/URLs
Optimization of Domains/URLs
Two of the most basic parts of any website are the domain name and the URLs for the pages of the website. This section will explore guidelines for optimizing these important elements.
Optimizing Domains
When a new site is being conceived or designed one of the critical items to consider is the naming of the domain, whether it is for a new blog, a company launch, or even just a friend's website. Here are 12 times that will be indispensable when helping you select a great domain name:
Brainstom for five top keywords
* When you begin your domain name search, it helps to have five terms or phrases in mind that best describe the domain that you are seeking. Once you have this list, you can start to pair them or add prefixes to create good domain ideas. For example, if you are launching a mortgage-related domain, you might start with words such as mortgage, finance, home repairs, interest rate, and house payment, and then play around until you can find a good match.
Make the domain unique
* Having your website confused with a popular site that someone else already owns is a recipe for disaster. Thus, never choose a domain that is simply the plural, hyphenated, or misspelled version of an already established domain.
Choose only dot-com available domains
* If you are not concerned with type-in traffic, branding or name recognition, you don't need to worry about this one. However, if you are at all serious about building a successful website over the long term, you should be worried about all of these elements, and although directing traffic to a .net or .org is fine, owning and 301'ing the .com is critical. With the exception of the very tech savvy, most people who use the web still make the automatic assumption that .com is all that's out there, or that these domains are more trustworthy. Don't make the mistake of locking out or losing traffic from these folks.
Make it easy to type
* If a domain name requires considerable attention to type correctly due to spelling, length, or use of unmemorable words or sounds, you've lost a good portion of your branding and marketing value. Usability folks even tout the value of having words that include easy to type letters (which we interpret as avoiding q,z,x,c, and p).
Keep the names a short as possible
* Short names are easy to type and easy to remember (see previous two rules). They also allow for more characters in the URL in the SERPs and a better fit on business cards and other offline media. Shorter URLs also get better click-through in the SERPs, according to MarketingSherpa.
Create and fulfill expectations
* When someone hears about your domain name for the first time, he should be able to instantly and accurately guess at the type of content he might find there. That's why we love domain names such as hotmail, careerbuilder, autotrader, and webmd. Domains such as monster, amazon, and zillow require far more branding because of their nonintuitive names.
Avoid trademark infringement
* This is a mistake that isn't made too often, but it can kill a great domain and a great company when it does. To be sure you are not infringing on anyone's registered trademark search at uspto.gov
Set yourself apart with a brand
* Using a unique moniker is a great way to build additional value with your domain name. A brand is more than just a combination of words, which is why names such as mortgageforyourhome and shoesandboots aren't as compelling as branded names such as bankrate and lendingtree.
Reject hyphens and numbers
* Both hyphens and numbers make it hard to convey your domain verbally and fall down on being easy to remember or type. Avoid spelled-out or Roman numerals in domains, as both can be confusing and mistaken for the other.
Don't follow the latest trends
* Website names that rely on odd misspellings (as do many web 2.0-style sites), multiple hyphens (such as the SEO-optimized domains of the early 2000s), or uninspiring short adjectives (such as top, best, hot) are not always the best choice. This isn't a hard and fast rule, but in the world of naming conventions in general, if everyone else is doing it, that doesn't mean it is a surefire strategy. Just look at all the people who named their businesses "AAA" over the past 50 years to be first in the phone book; how many fortune 1000s are named "AAA".
Use an AJAX domain selection tool
* Websites such as ajaxwhois and domjax make it exceptionally easy to determine the availability of a domain name. Just remember that you don't have to buy through these services. You can find an available name that you like, and then go to your registrar of choice.
Two of the most basic parts of any website are the domain name and the URLs for the pages of the website. This section will explore guidelines for optimizing these important elements.
Optimizing Domains
When a new site is being conceived or designed one of the critical items to consider is the naming of the domain, whether it is for a new blog, a company launch, or even just a friend's website. Here are 12 times that will be indispensable when helping you select a great domain name:
Brainstom for five top keywords
* When you begin your domain name search, it helps to have five terms or phrases in mind that best describe the domain that you are seeking. Once you have this list, you can start to pair them or add prefixes to create good domain ideas. For example, if you are launching a mortgage-related domain, you might start with words such as mortgage, finance, home repairs, interest rate, and house payment, and then play around until you can find a good match.
Make the domain unique
* Having your website confused with a popular site that someone else already owns is a recipe for disaster. Thus, never choose a domain that is simply the plural, hyphenated, or misspelled version of an already established domain.
Choose only dot-com available domains
* If you are not concerned with type-in traffic, branding or name recognition, you don't need to worry about this one. However, if you are at all serious about building a successful website over the long term, you should be worried about all of these elements, and although directing traffic to a .net or .org is fine, owning and 301'ing the .com is critical. With the exception of the very tech savvy, most people who use the web still make the automatic assumption that .com is all that's out there, or that these domains are more trustworthy. Don't make the mistake of locking out or losing traffic from these folks.
Make it easy to type
* If a domain name requires considerable attention to type correctly due to spelling, length, or use of unmemorable words or sounds, you've lost a good portion of your branding and marketing value. Usability folks even tout the value of having words that include easy to type letters (which we interpret as avoiding q,z,x,c, and p).
Keep the names a short as possible
* Short names are easy to type and easy to remember (see previous two rules). They also allow for more characters in the URL in the SERPs and a better fit on business cards and other offline media. Shorter URLs also get better click-through in the SERPs, according to MarketingSherpa.
Create and fulfill expectations
* When someone hears about your domain name for the first time, he should be able to instantly and accurately guess at the type of content he might find there. That's why we love domain names such as hotmail, careerbuilder, autotrader, and webmd. Domains such as monster, amazon, and zillow require far more branding because of their nonintuitive names.
Avoid trademark infringement
* This is a mistake that isn't made too often, but it can kill a great domain and a great company when it does. To be sure you are not infringing on anyone's registered trademark search at uspto.gov
Set yourself apart with a brand
* Using a unique moniker is a great way to build additional value with your domain name. A brand is more than just a combination of words, which is why names such as mortgageforyourhome and shoesandboots aren't as compelling as branded names such as bankrate and lendingtree.
Reject hyphens and numbers
* Both hyphens and numbers make it hard to convey your domain verbally and fall down on being easy to remember or type. Avoid spelled-out or Roman numerals in domains, as both can be confusing and mistaken for the other.
Don't follow the latest trends
* Website names that rely on odd misspellings (as do many web 2.0-style sites), multiple hyphens (such as the SEO-optimized domains of the early 2000s), or uninspiring short adjectives (such as top, best, hot) are not always the best choice. This isn't a hard and fast rule, but in the world of naming conventions in general, if everyone else is doing it, that doesn't mean it is a surefire strategy. Just look at all the people who named their businesses "AAA" over the past 50 years to be first in the phone book; how many fortune 1000s are named "AAA".
Use an AJAX domain selection tool
* Websites such as ajaxwhois and domjax make it exceptionally easy to determine the availability of a domain name. Just remember that you don't have to buy through these services. You can find an available name that you like, and then go to your registrar of choice.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Customer Avatar Checklist -- Emotional Hot Buttons
* I found a few blogs... mostly from URJ... One posting appears to be from a Professor of Bible, another from a Rabbi whom I met through her daughter... a URJ posting about how they are losing 80% of the Bar Mitzvah kids by the end of high school.
* Read book reviews on Amazon regarding "competing" products, explore further.
* Found a book on Amazon by Bar Mitzvah teachers
* Found an article in the NYT (which I had already read, but I didn't see the reactions)
* I discovered that my competition lives at "bar mitzvah lessons" (google search)
* Read book reviews on Amazon regarding "competing" products, explore further.
* Found a book on Amazon by Bar Mitzvah teachers
* Found an article in the NYT (which I had already read, but I didn't see the reactions)
* I discovered that my competition lives at "bar mitzvah lessons" (google search)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Niche Research and Selection Checklist -- 3 Questions
* Continue research until you meet the minimum criteria AND the answer to all of these questions is "YES":
- Is my prospective customer emotionally driven to find a solution, solve a problem, or get a specific benefit that I offer?
YES
- Is my prospective customer so motivated that they've begun pro-actively seeking to solve their challenge?
YES
- Does my prospective customer have few or no perceived options?
YES
- Is my prospective customer emotionally driven to find a solution, solve a problem, or get a specific benefit that I offer?
YES
- Is my prospective customer so motivated that they've begun pro-actively seeking to solve their challenge?
YES
- Does my prospective customer have few or no perceived options?
YES
Niche Research and Selection Checklist -- Forums
BAR/BAT MITZVAH: Party Planning
There's a lot of new thinking out there. Let's not talk about what bar/bat mitzvahs HAVE BEEN; let's talk about what they COULD BE!
» Moderator: MitzvahChic Admin 394 1363 November 13th, 2010, 6:28am
by Graffiti_Zone
BAR/BAT MITZVAH: Family and Friend Issues
We all know that if the party's the soup, it's the people who spice it up -- for good and bad. Let's vent and problem-solve the people issues.
» Moderators: MitzvahChic Admin, -1 46 201 September 19th, 2010, 9:22am
by schneiders
BAR/BAT MITZVAH: Religious & Synagogue Issues
How much Hebrew is enough? How do you know if your child really can't do it? How do you get the synagogue to work with you on a range of issues? Let's tawk!
» Moderators: MitzvahChic Admin, -1 44 172 September 21st, 2009, 9:08pm
by NYmom
There's a lot of new thinking out there. Let's not talk about what bar/bat mitzvahs HAVE BEEN; let's talk about what they COULD BE!
» Moderator: MitzvahChic Admin 394 1363 November 13th, 2010, 6:28am
by Graffiti_Zone
BAR/BAT MITZVAH: Family and Friend Issues
We all know that if the party's the soup, it's the people who spice it up -- for good and bad. Let's vent and problem-solve the people issues.
» Moderators: MitzvahChic Admin, -1 46 201 September 19th, 2010, 9:22am
by schneiders
BAR/BAT MITZVAH: Religious & Synagogue Issues
How much Hebrew is enough? How do you know if your child really can't do it? How do you get the synagogue to work with you on a range of issues? Let's tawk!
» Moderators: MitzvahChic Admin, -1 44 172 September 21st, 2009, 9:08pm
by NYmom
Niche Research and Selection Checklist -- Strong Interest
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Search Results for bar mitzvahDisplaying 1 to 10 out of 341 sites.
Sponsored LinksBar Mitzvah Preparation
Personalized Torah Tutoring. Reading, prayer & speech help.
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Bat/Bar Centerpieces
Party favor and centerpiece combo Incredibly Unique & Affordable
www.wanderfuls.com
Bat Mitzvah in Israel
Hassle Free Production Trusted, Professional and Dedicated
www.simchamaker.com
My Bar Mitzvah
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Bar Mitzvah Find It
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Bar Mitzvah Party Planning
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Bar Mitzvah Gift
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Bar Mitzvah in Israel
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Invitation Consultants
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:: Bar Mitzvah Disco :
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B'nai Mitzvah Guide Magazine
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Sponsored LinksBar & Bat Mitzvah Favors
Sweet Kosher Keepsake For Guests! Wrapped Hershey Bars from $1.30 ea
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Sponsored Links
Boston Bar Mitzvah
Elegant Luxury Hotel With Event
Space for 350 Guests. Kosher Menus.
www.hotelmarlowe.com
Event Temps
Wait Staff Bartenders Cooks & More
Good Help is Easy to Find!
www.eventtemps.net
Ben & Jerry's Sundaes
Let us serve Ben & Jerry's Sundaes
at your Bat Mitzvah!
www.benjerry.com/natick
Bar Mitzvah Gift
A ceramic Bar Mitzvah certificate
Order directly from the artist!
barmitzvahgift.com
Bat Mitzvah Chocolate
Special Limited Time Holiday Offer:
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lakechamplainchocolates.com
Bat & Bar Mitzvah Gifts
Custom made jewelery
The perfect judaica gift
www.israelblessing.com
Categories for bar mitzvah
Kids and Teens > People and Society > Religion and Spirituality > Judaism
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Niche Research and Selection Checklist -- Strong Interest
* Evidence of Strong Interest, activity and indication of commercial interest found at:
- Google Insights - www.google.com/insights/search/
Compare by Search terms Filter
Search terms
Locations
Time Ranges
Tip: Use a comma as shorthand to add comparison items. (tennis, squash)
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Web Search Interest: bar mitzvah
Worldwide, 2004 - present
Categories: Shopping (50-75%), Lifestyles (10-25%), Entertainment (0-10%), Local (0-10%) , more...
Totals
bar mitzvah
57
Interest over time News headlines Forecast
Learn what these numbers mean
* Forecast values are based exclusively on the extrapolation of past values. Learn more
Embed this chart
See worldwide top rising searches by clearing the search terms
A
More on the IPO as a Tech Start-Up's Bar Mitzvah
B
World War II veteran, 91, celebrates bar mitzvah
C
Bar mitzvah hit by stray wedding shots
D
When a bar mitzvah is a mitzva
E
Countdown to the Bar Mitzvah (and This Week's Parsha)
F
The Shame Of Israel: Son of Rahm's Tight Security Bar Mitzvah
G
SAfrican judge says he won't attend bar mitzvah
Regional interest
Region City
1. United States
100
2. Israel
62
3. Canada
58
4. South Africa
44
5. United Kingdom
44
6. Australia
39
7. France
19
8. Ireland
19
9. New Zealand
18
10. Sweden
18
View change over time
Search terms
Top searches
1. jewish bar mitzvah
100
2. bar bat mitzvah
95
3. bat mitzvah
95
4. werewolf
70
5. werewolf bar mitzvah
70
6. bar mitzvah invitations
70
7. bar mitzvah party
65
8. bar mitzvah gifts
65
9. bar mitzvah gift
45
10. barmitzvah
30
Embed this table
Rising searches
1. bar mitzvah dance Breakout
2. bar mitzvah wikipedia Breakout
3. werewolf Breakout
4. werewolf bar mitzvah Breakout
5. bar mitzvah dresses +100%
6. bar mitzvah video +80%
7. bar mitzvah money +70%
8. bar mitzvah boys +50%
9. bar mitzvah age +40%
10. bar mitzvah ideas +40%
Embed this table
- Google Insights - www.google.com/insights/search/
Compare by Search terms Filter
Search terms
Locations
Time Ranges
Tip: Use a comma as shorthand to add comparison items. (tennis, squash)
•
+ Add search term
Web Search Interest: bar mitzvah
Worldwide, 2004 - present
Categories: Shopping (50-75%), Lifestyles (10-25%), Entertainment (0-10%), Local (0-10%) , more...
Totals
bar mitzvah
57
Interest over time News headlines Forecast
Learn what these numbers mean
* Forecast values are based exclusively on the extrapolation of past values. Learn more
Embed this chart
See worldwide top rising searches by clearing the search terms
A
More on the IPO as a Tech Start-Up's Bar Mitzvah
B
World War II veteran, 91, celebrates bar mitzvah
C
Bar mitzvah hit by stray wedding shots
D
When a bar mitzvah is a mitzva
E
Countdown to the Bar Mitzvah (and This Week's Parsha)
F
The Shame Of Israel: Son of Rahm's Tight Security Bar Mitzvah
G
SAfrican judge says he won't attend bar mitzvah
Regional interest
Region City
1. United States
100
2. Israel
62
3. Canada
58
4. South Africa
44
5. United Kingdom
44
6. Australia
39
7. France
19
8. Ireland
19
9. New Zealand
18
10. Sweden
18
View change over time
Search terms
Top searches
1. jewish bar mitzvah
100
2. bar bat mitzvah
95
3. bat mitzvah
95
4. werewolf
70
5. werewolf bar mitzvah
70
6. bar mitzvah invitations
70
7. bar mitzvah party
65
8. bar mitzvah gifts
65
9. bar mitzvah gift
45
10. barmitzvah
30
Embed this table
Rising searches
1. bar mitzvah dance Breakout
2. bar mitzvah wikipedia Breakout
3. werewolf Breakout
4. werewolf bar mitzvah Breakout
5. bar mitzvah dresses +100%
6. bar mitzvah video +80%
7. bar mitzvah money +70%
8. bar mitzvah boys +50%
9. bar mitzvah age +40%
10. bar mitzvah ideas +40%
Embed this table
Niche Research and Selection Checklist -- Google Trends
* Google Trends shows searches are trending upwards (Guideline at least 1.0 score)
Tip: Use commas to compare multiple search terms.
Searches Websites
Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of bar mitzvah in all years. Learn more
bar mitzvah
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Franco gets bar mitzvah at Hasty Pudding roast
Associated Press - Feb 14 2009
Convict stages son's bar mitzvah in NYC jail
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Jun 11 2009
NY jails official resigns after bar mitzvah report
Associated Press - Jun 16 2009
Jewish champion hoping to fight at Yankee Stadium _ unless a bar mitzvah intervenes
Los Angeles Times - Feb 16 2010
SAfrican judge says he won't attend bar mitzvah
Washington Post - Apr 17 2010
The Shame Of Israel: Son of Rahm's Tight Security Bar Mitzvah
Huffington Post - May 27 2010
More news results »
Regions
1. United States
2. Israel
3. Canada
4. United Kingdom
5. Australia
6. France
7. Brazil
8. Italy
9. Germany
Cities
1. New York, NY, USA
2. Miami, FL, USA
3. Reston, VA, USA
4. Boston, MA, USA
5. Philadelphia, PA, USA
6. Irvine, CA, USA
7. Washington, DC, USA
8. Los Angeles, CA, USA
9. Chicago, IL, USA
10. Toronto, Canada
Languages
1. English
2. Swedish
3. French
4. Portuguese
5. Italian
6. Spanish
7. German
Tip: Use commas to compare multiple search terms.
Searches Websites
Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of bar mitzvah in all years. Learn more
bar mitzvah
1.00
Rank by
Franco gets bar mitzvah at Hasty Pudding roast
Associated Press - Feb 14 2009
Convict stages son's bar mitzvah in NYC jail
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Jun 11 2009
NY jails official resigns after bar mitzvah report
Associated Press - Jun 16 2009
Jewish champion hoping to fight at Yankee Stadium _ unless a bar mitzvah intervenes
Los Angeles Times - Feb 16 2010
SAfrican judge says he won't attend bar mitzvah
Washington Post - Apr 17 2010
The Shame Of Israel: Son of Rahm's Tight Security Bar Mitzvah
Huffington Post - May 27 2010
More news results »
Regions
1. United States
2. Israel
3. Canada
4. United Kingdom
5. Australia
6. France
7. Brazil
8. Italy
9. Germany
Cities
1. New York, NY, USA
2. Miami, FL, USA
3. Reston, VA, USA
4. Boston, MA, USA
5. Philadelphia, PA, USA
6. Irvine, CA, USA
7. Washington, DC, USA
8. Los Angeles, CA, USA
9. Chicago, IL, USA
10. Toronto, Canada
Languages
1. English
2. Swedish
3. French
4. Portuguese
5. Italian
6. Spanish
7. German
The Steps 1 & 2 -- Action Coaching Club
Step 1: Research/Select a Niche
* Research the market -- find Who's already looking (see Niche Research and selection checklist)
* Select a niche -- identify what need you will fill
* Identify the top 10 positive and negative emotional hot buttons
* Create a customer avatar (see customer avatar checklist)
Step 2: test the Niche
* Create an elevator Pitch (see elevator pitch checklist)
* Create conversion story (see conversion story checklist)
* Design a powerful name/title (see product/concept naming checklist)
* Create (or acquire) free line content (i.e. 3-mistakes report) (see Free Line Content checklist)
* Get basic web tools (e.g. domain, hosting, auto-responder, paypal, analytics) (see Website Presence Checklist)
* Put a simple list-building mini-site(s) or blog online (see Niche testing checklist)
* Create a follow up auto-responder sequence
* Drive as much traffic as you can as afford as quickly as possible
* Make offers for your or your affiliate's products
* Do coaching for market research (see Coaching for Market Research Checklist)
* If, after 1,000 visits you do not have a list of 50-200 people, and do not have at least one sale, reconsider or drop niche.
* If you see progress through "The Gates" keep testing
* Research the market -- find Who's already looking (see Niche Research and selection checklist)
* Select a niche -- identify what need you will fill
* Identify the top 10 positive and negative emotional hot buttons
* Create a customer avatar (see customer avatar checklist)
Step 2: test the Niche
* Create an elevator Pitch (see elevator pitch checklist)
* Create conversion story (see conversion story checklist)
* Design a powerful name/title (see product/concept naming checklist)
* Create (or acquire) free line content (i.e. 3-mistakes report) (see Free Line Content checklist)
* Get basic web tools (e.g. domain, hosting, auto-responder, paypal, analytics) (see Website Presence Checklist)
* Put a simple list-building mini-site(s) or blog online (see Niche testing checklist)
* Create a follow up auto-responder sequence
* Drive as much traffic as you can as afford as quickly as possible
* Make offers for your or your affiliate's products
* Do coaching for market research (see Coaching for Market Research Checklist)
* If, after 1,000 visits you do not have a list of 50-200 people, and do not have at least one sale, reconsider or drop niche.
* If you see progress through "The Gates" keep testing
Action Coaching Checklist -- The Gates
Last night I was on the inaugural call of the Action Coaching Club. I found that it felt more focused than the previous Ignition trainings. The PDF guidebook is a great resource. It would be even better if it were available in word (rich-text-format) and html (hyperlinked between sections). While the content is excellent, I found it difficult to find where I need to start because it is not in chronological order rather in a recursive-top-down organization. So, I may type some of it as I progress to figure out where I am.
The Gates:
* The Market is Viable
* You are able to reach people and bring them to your website
* People who visit your website join your list
* People on your list are buying products and services
* Customers buy more products, more expensive products, more often
* Others market and sell your products
* Everything is automated, scalable
I mentioned on the call that I'm developing an educational software product. Until the product is ready, I do not have something concrete to sell without spending time that will divert me from getting the product to market. We will explore together whether the above Gates can apply in such a situation.
The Gates:
* The Market is Viable
* You are able to reach people and bring them to your website
* People who visit your website join your list
* People on your list are buying products and services
* Customers buy more products, more expensive products, more often
* Others market and sell your products
* Everything is automated, scalable
I mentioned on the call that I'm developing an educational software product. Until the product is ready, I do not have something concrete to sell without spending time that will divert me from getting the product to market. We will explore together whether the above Gates can apply in such a situation.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Suggested Seasonal Topics for Blog Posting
Wed 08-Sep-2010 29th of Elul, 5770
Wed 08-Sep-2010 Erev Rosh Hashana
Thu 09-Sep-2010 1st of Tishrei, 5771
Thu 09-Sep-2010 Rosh Hashana 5771
Fri 10-Sep-2010 2nd of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 10-Sep-2010 Rosh Hashana II
Sat 11-Sep-2010 3rd of Tishrei, 5771
Sat 11-Sep-2010 Shabbat Shuva
Sun 12-Sep-2010 4th of Tishrei, 5771
Sun 12-Sep-2010 Tzom Gedaliah
Fri 17-Sep-2010 9th of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 17-Sep-2010 Erev Yom Kippur
Sat 18-Sep-2010 10th of Tishrei, 5771
Sat 18-Sep-2010 Yom Kippur
Wed 22-Sep-2010 14th of Tishrei, 5771
Wed 22-Sep-2010 Erev Sukkot
Thu 23-Sep-2010 15th of Tishrei, 5771
Thu 23-Sep-2010 Sukkot I
Fri 24-Sep-2010 16th of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 24-Sep-2010 Sukkot II
Sat 25-Sep-2010 17th of Tishrei, 5771
Sat 25-Sep-2010 Sukkot III (CH''M)
Sun 26-Sep-2010 18th of Tishrei, 5771
Sun 26-Sep-2010 Sukkot IV (CH''M)
Mon 27-Sep-2010 19th of Tishrei, 5771
Mon 27-Sep-2010 Sukkot V (CH''M)
Tue 28-Sep-2010 20th of Tishrei, 5771
Tue 28-Sep-2010 Sukkot VI (CH''M)
Wed 29-Sep-2010 21st of Tishrei, 5771
Wed 29-Sep-2010 Sukkot VII (Hoshana Raba)
Thu 30-Sep-2010 22nd of Tishrei, 5771
Thu 30-Sep-2010 Shmini Atzeret
Fri 01-Oct-2010 23rd of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 01-Oct-2010 Simchat Torah
Fri 08-Oct-2010 30th of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 08-Oct-2010 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
Sat 09-Oct-2010 1st of Cheshvan, 5771
Sat 09-Oct-2010 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
Sun 07-Nov-2010 30th of Cheshvan, 5771
Sun 07-Nov-2010 Rosh Chodesh Kislev
Mon 08-Nov-2010 1st of Kislev, 5771
Mon 08-Nov-2010 Rosh Chodesh Kislev
Wed 01-Dec-2010 24th of Kislev, 5771
Wed 01-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 1 Candle
Thu 02-Dec-2010 25th of Kislev, 5771
Thu 02-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 2 Candles
Fri 03-Dec-2010 26th of Kislev, 5771
Fri 03-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 3 Candles
Sat 04-Dec-2010 27th of Kislev, 5771
Sat 04-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 4 Candles
Sun 05-Dec-2010 28th of Kislev, 5771
Sun 05-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 5 Candles
Mon 06-Dec-2010 29th of Kislev, 5771
Mon 06-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 6 Candles
Tue 07-Dec-2010 30th of Kislev, 5771
Tue 07-Dec-2010 Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Tue 07-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 7 Candles
Wed 08-Dec-2010 1st of Tevet, 5771
Wed 08-Dec-2010 Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Wed 08-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 8 Candles
Thu 09-Dec-2010 2nd of Tevet, 5771
Thu 09-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 8th Day
Fri 17-Dec-2010 10th of Tevet, 5771
Fri 17-Dec-2010 Asara B'Tevet
Thu 06-Jan-2011 1st of Sh'vat, 5771
Thu 06-Jan-2011 Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat
Thu 20-Jan-2011 15th of Sh'vat, 5771
Thu 20-Jan-2011 Tu B'Shvat
Fri 04-Feb-2011 30th of Sh'vat, 5771
Fri 04-Feb-2011 Rosh Chodesh Adar I
Sat 05-Feb-2011 1st of Adar I, 5771
Sat 05-Feb-2011 Rosh Chodesh Adar I
Fri 18-Feb-2011 14th of Adar I, 5771
Fri 18-Feb-2011 Purim Katan
Sat 05-Mar-2011 29th of Adar I, 5771
Sat 05-Mar-2011 Shabbat Shekalim
Sun 06-Mar-2011 30th of Adar I, 5771
Sun 06-Mar-2011 Rosh Chodesh Adar II
Mon 07-Mar-2011 1st of Adar II, 5771
Mon 07-Mar-2011 Rosh Chodesh Adar II
Thu 17-Mar-2011 11th of Adar II, 5771
Thu 17-Mar-2011 Ta'anit Esther
Sat 19-Mar-2011 13th of Adar II, 5771
Sat 19-Mar-2011 Shabbat Zachor
Sun 20-Mar-2011 14th of Adar II, 5771
Sun 20-Mar-2011 Purim
Mon 21-Mar-2011 15th of Adar II, 5771
Mon 21-Mar-2011 Shushan Purim
Sat 26-Mar-2011 20th of Adar II, 5771
Sat 26-Mar-2011 Shabbat Parah
Sat 02-Apr-2011 27th of Adar II, 5771
Sat 02-Apr-2011 Shabbat HaChodesh
Tue 05-Apr-2011 1st of Nisan, 5771
Tue 05-Apr-2011 Rosh Chodesh Nisan
Sat 16-Apr-2011 12th of Nisan, 5771
Sat 16-Apr-2011 Shabbat HaGadol
Mon 18-Apr-2011 14th of Nisan, 5771
Mon 18-Apr-2011 Ta'anit Bechorot
Mon 18-Apr-2011 Erev Pesach
Tue 19-Apr-2011 15th of Nisan, 5771
Tue 19-Apr-2011 Pesach I
Wed 20-Apr-2011 16th of Nisan, 5771
Wed 20-Apr-2011 Pesach II
Thu 21-Apr-2011 17th of Nisan, 5771
Thu 21-Apr-2011 Pesach III (CH''M)
Fri 22-Apr-2011 18th of Nisan, 5771
Fri 22-Apr-2011 Pesach IV (CH''M)
Sat 23-Apr-2011 19th of Nisan, 5771
Sat 23-Apr-2011 Pesach V (CH''M)
Sun 24-Apr-2011 20th of Nisan, 5771
Sun 24-Apr-2011 Pesach VI (CH''M)
Mon 25-Apr-2011 21st of Nisan, 5771
Mon 25-Apr-2011 Pesach VII
Tue 26-Apr-2011 22nd of Nisan, 5771
Tue 26-Apr-2011 Pesach VIII
Sun 01-May-2011 27th of Nisan, 5771
Sun 01-May-2011 Yom HaShoah
Wed 04-May-2011 30th of Nisan, 5771
Wed 04-May-2011 Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
Thu 05-May-2011 1st of Iyyar, 5771
Thu 05-May-2011 Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
Mon 09-May-2011 5th of Iyyar, 5771
Mon 09-May-2011 Yom HaZikaron
Tue 10-May-2011 6th of Iyyar, 5771
Tue 10-May-2011 Yom HaAtzma'ut
Sun 22-May-2011 18th of Iyyar, 5771
Sun 22-May-2011 Lag B'Omer
Wed 01-Jun-2011 28th of Iyyar, 5771
Wed 01-Jun-2011 Yom Yerushalayim
Fri 03-Jun-2011 1st of Sivan, 5771
Fri 03-Jun-2011 Rosh Chodesh Sivan
Tue 07-Jun-2011 5th of Sivan, 5771
Tue 07-Jun-2011 Erev Shavuot
Wed 08-Jun-2011 6th of Sivan, 5771
Wed 08-Jun-2011 Shavuot I
Thu 09-Jun-2011 7th of Sivan, 5771
Thu 09-Jun-2011 Shavuot II
Sat 02-Jul-2011 30th of Sivan, 5771
Sat 02-Jul-2011 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
Sun 03-Jul-2011 1st of Tamuz, 5771
Sun 03-Jul-2011 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
Tue 19-Jul-2011 17th of Tamuz, 5771
Tue 19-Jul-2011 Tzom Tammuz
Mon 01-Aug-2011 1st of Av, 5771
Mon 01-Aug-2011 Rosh Chodesh Av
Sat 06-Aug-2011 6th of Av, 5771
Sat 06-Aug-2011 Shabbat Chazon
Tue 09-Aug-2011 9th of Av, 5771
Tue 09-Aug-2011 Tish'a B'Av
Sat 13-Aug-2011 13th of Av, 5771
Sat 13-Aug-2011 Shabbat Nachamu
Tue 30-Aug-2011 30th of Av, 5771
Tue 30-Aug-2011 Rosh Chodesh Elul
Wed 31-Aug-2011 1st of Elul, 5771
Wed 31-Aug-2011 Rosh Chodesh Elul
Wed 28-Sep-2011 29th of Elul, 5771
Wed 28-Sep-2011 Erev Rosh Hashana
Genesis
Parashat Bereshit - 02 October 2010
Parashat Noach - 09 October 2010
Parashat Lech-Lecha - 16 October 2010
Parashat Vayera - 23 October 2010
Parashat Chayei Sara - 30 October 2010
Parashat Toldot - 06 November 2010
Parashat Vayetzei - 13 November 2010
Parashat Vayishlach - 20 November 2010
Parashat Vayeshev - 27 November 2010
Parashat Miketz - 04 December 2010
Parashat Vayigash - 11 December 2010
Parashat Vayechi - 18 December 2010
Exodus
Parashat Shemot - 25 December 2010
Parashat Vaera - 01 January 2011
Parashat Bo - 08 January 2011
Parashat Beshalach - 15 January 2011
Parashat Yitro - 22 January 2011
Parashat Mishpatim - 29 January 2011
Parashat Terumah - 05 February 2011
Parashat Tetzaveh - 12 February 2011
Parashat Ki Tisa - 19 February 2011
Parashat Vayakhel - 26 February 2011
Parashat Pekudei - 05 March 2011
Leviticus
Parashat Vayikra - 12 March 2011
Parashat Tzav - 19 March 2011
Parashat Shmini - 26 March 2011
Parashat Tazria - 02 April 2011
Parashat Metzora - 09 April 2011
Parashat Achrei Mot - 16 April 2011
Parashat Kedoshim - 30 April 2011
Parashat Emor - 07 May 2011
Parashat Behar - 14 May 2011
Parashat Bechukotai - 21 May 2011
Numbers
Parashat Bamidbar - 28 May 2011
Parashat Nasso - 04 June 2011
Parashat Beha'alotcha - 11 June 2011
Parashat Sh'lach - 18 June 2011
Parashat Korach - 25 June 2011
Parashat Chukat - 02 July 2011
Parashat Balak - 09 July 2011
Parashat Pinchas - 16 July 2011
Parashat Matot - 23 July 2011
Parashat Masei - 30 July 2011
Deuteronomy
Parashat Devarim - 06 August 2011
Parashat Vaetchanan - 13 August 2011
Parashat Eikev - 20 August 2011
Parashat Re'eh - 27 August 2011
Parashat Shoftim - 03 September 2011
Parashat Ki Teitzei - 10 September 2011
Parashat Ki Tavo - 17 September 2011
Parashat Nitzavim
Parashat Vayeilech
Parashat Ha'Azinu - 11 September 2010
Parashat Vezot Haberakhah
Doubled Parshiyot
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei
Parashat Tazria-Metzora
Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim
Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
Parashat Chukat-Balak
Parashat Matot-Masei
Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech - 24 September 2011
Wed 08-Sep-2010 Erev Rosh Hashana
Thu 09-Sep-2010 1st of Tishrei, 5771
Thu 09-Sep-2010 Rosh Hashana 5771
Fri 10-Sep-2010 2nd of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 10-Sep-2010 Rosh Hashana II
Sat 11-Sep-2010 3rd of Tishrei, 5771
Sat 11-Sep-2010 Shabbat Shuva
Sun 12-Sep-2010 4th of Tishrei, 5771
Sun 12-Sep-2010 Tzom Gedaliah
Fri 17-Sep-2010 9th of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 17-Sep-2010 Erev Yom Kippur
Sat 18-Sep-2010 10th of Tishrei, 5771
Sat 18-Sep-2010 Yom Kippur
Wed 22-Sep-2010 14th of Tishrei, 5771
Wed 22-Sep-2010 Erev Sukkot
Thu 23-Sep-2010 15th of Tishrei, 5771
Thu 23-Sep-2010 Sukkot I
Fri 24-Sep-2010 16th of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 24-Sep-2010 Sukkot II
Sat 25-Sep-2010 17th of Tishrei, 5771
Sat 25-Sep-2010 Sukkot III (CH''M)
Sun 26-Sep-2010 18th of Tishrei, 5771
Sun 26-Sep-2010 Sukkot IV (CH''M)
Mon 27-Sep-2010 19th of Tishrei, 5771
Mon 27-Sep-2010 Sukkot V (CH''M)
Tue 28-Sep-2010 20th of Tishrei, 5771
Tue 28-Sep-2010 Sukkot VI (CH''M)
Wed 29-Sep-2010 21st of Tishrei, 5771
Wed 29-Sep-2010 Sukkot VII (Hoshana Raba)
Thu 30-Sep-2010 22nd of Tishrei, 5771
Thu 30-Sep-2010 Shmini Atzeret
Fri 01-Oct-2010 23rd of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 01-Oct-2010 Simchat Torah
Fri 08-Oct-2010 30th of Tishrei, 5771
Fri 08-Oct-2010 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
Sat 09-Oct-2010 1st of Cheshvan, 5771
Sat 09-Oct-2010 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
Sun 07-Nov-2010 30th of Cheshvan, 5771
Sun 07-Nov-2010 Rosh Chodesh Kislev
Mon 08-Nov-2010 1st of Kislev, 5771
Mon 08-Nov-2010 Rosh Chodesh Kislev
Wed 01-Dec-2010 24th of Kislev, 5771
Wed 01-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 1 Candle
Thu 02-Dec-2010 25th of Kislev, 5771
Thu 02-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 2 Candles
Fri 03-Dec-2010 26th of Kislev, 5771
Fri 03-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 3 Candles
Sat 04-Dec-2010 27th of Kislev, 5771
Sat 04-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 4 Candles
Sun 05-Dec-2010 28th of Kislev, 5771
Sun 05-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 5 Candles
Mon 06-Dec-2010 29th of Kislev, 5771
Mon 06-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 6 Candles
Tue 07-Dec-2010 30th of Kislev, 5771
Tue 07-Dec-2010 Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Tue 07-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 7 Candles
Wed 08-Dec-2010 1st of Tevet, 5771
Wed 08-Dec-2010 Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Wed 08-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 8 Candles
Thu 09-Dec-2010 2nd of Tevet, 5771
Thu 09-Dec-2010 Chanukah: 8th Day
Fri 17-Dec-2010 10th of Tevet, 5771
Fri 17-Dec-2010 Asara B'Tevet
Thu 06-Jan-2011 1st of Sh'vat, 5771
Thu 06-Jan-2011 Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat
Thu 20-Jan-2011 15th of Sh'vat, 5771
Thu 20-Jan-2011 Tu B'Shvat
Fri 04-Feb-2011 30th of Sh'vat, 5771
Fri 04-Feb-2011 Rosh Chodesh Adar I
Sat 05-Feb-2011 1st of Adar I, 5771
Sat 05-Feb-2011 Rosh Chodesh Adar I
Fri 18-Feb-2011 14th of Adar I, 5771
Fri 18-Feb-2011 Purim Katan
Sat 05-Mar-2011 29th of Adar I, 5771
Sat 05-Mar-2011 Shabbat Shekalim
Sun 06-Mar-2011 30th of Adar I, 5771
Sun 06-Mar-2011 Rosh Chodesh Adar II
Mon 07-Mar-2011 1st of Adar II, 5771
Mon 07-Mar-2011 Rosh Chodesh Adar II
Thu 17-Mar-2011 11th of Adar II, 5771
Thu 17-Mar-2011 Ta'anit Esther
Sat 19-Mar-2011 13th of Adar II, 5771
Sat 19-Mar-2011 Shabbat Zachor
Sun 20-Mar-2011 14th of Adar II, 5771
Sun 20-Mar-2011 Purim
Mon 21-Mar-2011 15th of Adar II, 5771
Mon 21-Mar-2011 Shushan Purim
Sat 26-Mar-2011 20th of Adar II, 5771
Sat 26-Mar-2011 Shabbat Parah
Sat 02-Apr-2011 27th of Adar II, 5771
Sat 02-Apr-2011 Shabbat HaChodesh
Tue 05-Apr-2011 1st of Nisan, 5771
Tue 05-Apr-2011 Rosh Chodesh Nisan
Sat 16-Apr-2011 12th of Nisan, 5771
Sat 16-Apr-2011 Shabbat HaGadol
Mon 18-Apr-2011 14th of Nisan, 5771
Mon 18-Apr-2011 Ta'anit Bechorot
Mon 18-Apr-2011 Erev Pesach
Tue 19-Apr-2011 15th of Nisan, 5771
Tue 19-Apr-2011 Pesach I
Wed 20-Apr-2011 16th of Nisan, 5771
Wed 20-Apr-2011 Pesach II
Thu 21-Apr-2011 17th of Nisan, 5771
Thu 21-Apr-2011 Pesach III (CH''M)
Fri 22-Apr-2011 18th of Nisan, 5771
Fri 22-Apr-2011 Pesach IV (CH''M)
Sat 23-Apr-2011 19th of Nisan, 5771
Sat 23-Apr-2011 Pesach V (CH''M)
Sun 24-Apr-2011 20th of Nisan, 5771
Sun 24-Apr-2011 Pesach VI (CH''M)
Mon 25-Apr-2011 21st of Nisan, 5771
Mon 25-Apr-2011 Pesach VII
Tue 26-Apr-2011 22nd of Nisan, 5771
Tue 26-Apr-2011 Pesach VIII
Sun 01-May-2011 27th of Nisan, 5771
Sun 01-May-2011 Yom HaShoah
Wed 04-May-2011 30th of Nisan, 5771
Wed 04-May-2011 Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
Thu 05-May-2011 1st of Iyyar, 5771
Thu 05-May-2011 Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
Mon 09-May-2011 5th of Iyyar, 5771
Mon 09-May-2011 Yom HaZikaron
Tue 10-May-2011 6th of Iyyar, 5771
Tue 10-May-2011 Yom HaAtzma'ut
Sun 22-May-2011 18th of Iyyar, 5771
Sun 22-May-2011 Lag B'Omer
Wed 01-Jun-2011 28th of Iyyar, 5771
Wed 01-Jun-2011 Yom Yerushalayim
Fri 03-Jun-2011 1st of Sivan, 5771
Fri 03-Jun-2011 Rosh Chodesh Sivan
Tue 07-Jun-2011 5th of Sivan, 5771
Tue 07-Jun-2011 Erev Shavuot
Wed 08-Jun-2011 6th of Sivan, 5771
Wed 08-Jun-2011 Shavuot I
Thu 09-Jun-2011 7th of Sivan, 5771
Thu 09-Jun-2011 Shavuot II
Sat 02-Jul-2011 30th of Sivan, 5771
Sat 02-Jul-2011 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
Sun 03-Jul-2011 1st of Tamuz, 5771
Sun 03-Jul-2011 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
Tue 19-Jul-2011 17th of Tamuz, 5771
Tue 19-Jul-2011 Tzom Tammuz
Mon 01-Aug-2011 1st of Av, 5771
Mon 01-Aug-2011 Rosh Chodesh Av
Sat 06-Aug-2011 6th of Av, 5771
Sat 06-Aug-2011 Shabbat Chazon
Tue 09-Aug-2011 9th of Av, 5771
Tue 09-Aug-2011 Tish'a B'Av
Sat 13-Aug-2011 13th of Av, 5771
Sat 13-Aug-2011 Shabbat Nachamu
Tue 30-Aug-2011 30th of Av, 5771
Tue 30-Aug-2011 Rosh Chodesh Elul
Wed 31-Aug-2011 1st of Elul, 5771
Wed 31-Aug-2011 Rosh Chodesh Elul
Wed 28-Sep-2011 29th of Elul, 5771
Wed 28-Sep-2011 Erev Rosh Hashana
Genesis
Parashat Bereshit - 02 October 2010
Parashat Noach - 09 October 2010
Parashat Lech-Lecha - 16 October 2010
Parashat Vayera - 23 October 2010
Parashat Chayei Sara - 30 October 2010
Parashat Toldot - 06 November 2010
Parashat Vayetzei - 13 November 2010
Parashat Vayishlach - 20 November 2010
Parashat Vayeshev - 27 November 2010
Parashat Miketz - 04 December 2010
Parashat Vayigash - 11 December 2010
Parashat Vayechi - 18 December 2010
Exodus
Parashat Shemot - 25 December 2010
Parashat Vaera - 01 January 2011
Parashat Bo - 08 January 2011
Parashat Beshalach - 15 January 2011
Parashat Yitro - 22 January 2011
Parashat Mishpatim - 29 January 2011
Parashat Terumah - 05 February 2011
Parashat Tetzaveh - 12 February 2011
Parashat Ki Tisa - 19 February 2011
Parashat Vayakhel - 26 February 2011
Parashat Pekudei - 05 March 2011
Leviticus
Parashat Vayikra - 12 March 2011
Parashat Tzav - 19 March 2011
Parashat Shmini - 26 March 2011
Parashat Tazria - 02 April 2011
Parashat Metzora - 09 April 2011
Parashat Achrei Mot - 16 April 2011
Parashat Kedoshim - 30 April 2011
Parashat Emor - 07 May 2011
Parashat Behar - 14 May 2011
Parashat Bechukotai - 21 May 2011
Numbers
Parashat Bamidbar - 28 May 2011
Parashat Nasso - 04 June 2011
Parashat Beha'alotcha - 11 June 2011
Parashat Sh'lach - 18 June 2011
Parashat Korach - 25 June 2011
Parashat Chukat - 02 July 2011
Parashat Balak - 09 July 2011
Parashat Pinchas - 16 July 2011
Parashat Matot - 23 July 2011
Parashat Masei - 30 July 2011
Deuteronomy
Parashat Devarim - 06 August 2011
Parashat Vaetchanan - 13 August 2011
Parashat Eikev - 20 August 2011
Parashat Re'eh - 27 August 2011
Parashat Shoftim - 03 September 2011
Parashat Ki Teitzei - 10 September 2011
Parashat Ki Tavo - 17 September 2011
Parashat Nitzavim
Parashat Vayeilech
Parashat Ha'Azinu - 11 September 2010
Parashat Vezot Haberakhah
Doubled Parshiyot
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei
Parashat Tazria-Metzora
Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim
Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
Parashat Chukat-Balak
Parashat Matot-Masei
Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech - 24 September 2011
Thursday, July 15, 2010
My Launch Story -- Product Launch Formula Worksheet
Who is your prospect? Pretend your prospect is sitting across from you right now... define him or her in great detail. How old are they? What gender? What are their interests or passions? What do they like and dislike? Where do they live? Are they married? Have kids?
Paying customer is parents of a Jewish child age 7-12. The average age of Jewish Bostonian mothers at first childbirth would be
approximately 28.5 years old. Assume 4 years between children, and two children in total. Expected maternal age at Bar Mitzvah in Boston would be age 43 and at Bat Mitzvah would be age 42. This demographic has a 30% to 34% divorce rate.
So, 3/10 will be single parents relative to that child, but 2/3 of those will have remarried. Given one Jewish parent, there is
a 53% that the other parent (or step spouse) will be Jewish.
Our ideal target is already affiliated with a Conservative or a Reform synagogue, although some will affiliate for the Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah.
While the Mother carries the "Jewishness," it is often the father who passes on the Jewish learning to the next generation.
Our core target audience is Jewish Married (to original spouse) Couples in Boston. Approximately 35% (70% are still married to original spouse, 50% of spouses are Jewish) of Jewish Boston kids fit that criteria. We will later expand to reach a broader segment of the Jewish community.
What does your avatar REALLY want? What are their inner core desires?
* Continuity: Deep down, they want to have Jewish grandchildren.
* Social status: Want their children to have high social status and to belong; themselves want social status.
* Connection: With tradition and other people.
What are their major HOT points?
* Juggling expenses with social status
* Respect gained by their child in synagogue
* Will their children be sought after marital partners?
* Will their children marry a Jewish spouse?
* WIll their children be happy and not get divorced?
* Will their children have children?
* Will those children be Jewish and have a Bar Mitzvah or a Bat Mitzvah?
What are their top fears and frustrations- what keeps them up at night?
What makes them mad? What do they worry about?
* Having Jewish grandchildren raised in a stable home
* Range from closeness to Judaism and comfort with Judaism, to general fear of unknown and not knowing whom to trust
What are their top wants and desires? What’s the outcome that they really want in whatever area of their lives that we’re involved in? What are they really after? What is the end goal they think they want?
* Many think they want a big party
* Many want social status for themselves and their child
What does your product do or give your prospect that he or she doesn’t know about?
* Increases their child's knowledge
* Enables child to gain status in their community through knowledge
* Be noticed by other Jewish kids
* More likely to build commitment to Judaism and to marry a Jewish spouse
* More likely to raise kids as Jews
How did you find or create your product/solution?
* Early employee at Oracle Corporation
* Sabbatical (5 years) studying Bible in Israel
* Experienced Entrepreneur
* Built contacts with leaders in Israeli and American Jewry, particularly in Bible field
Seeking to help Bar Mitzvah children learn to read Torah and Haftorah (Prophets) to increase long-term Jewish retention.
Paying customer is parents of a Jewish child age 7-12. The average age of Jewish Bostonian mothers at first childbirth would be
approximately 28.5 years old. Assume 4 years between children, and two children in total. Expected maternal age at Bar Mitzvah in Boston would be age 43 and at Bat Mitzvah would be age 42. This demographic has a 30% to 34% divorce rate.
So, 3/10 will be single parents relative to that child, but 2/3 of those will have remarried. Given one Jewish parent, there is
a 53% that the other parent (or step spouse) will be Jewish.
Our ideal target is already affiliated with a Conservative or a Reform synagogue, although some will affiliate for the Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah.
While the Mother carries the "Jewishness," it is often the father who passes on the Jewish learning to the next generation.
Our core target audience is Jewish Married (to original spouse) Couples in Boston. Approximately 35% (70% are still married to original spouse, 50% of spouses are Jewish) of Jewish Boston kids fit that criteria. We will later expand to reach a broader segment of the Jewish community.
What does your avatar REALLY want? What are their inner core desires?
* Continuity: Deep down, they want to have Jewish grandchildren.
* Social status: Want their children to have high social status and to belong; themselves want social status.
* Connection: With tradition and other people.
What are their major HOT points?
* Juggling expenses with social status
* Respect gained by their child in synagogue
* Will their children be sought after marital partners?
* Will their children marry a Jewish spouse?
* WIll their children be happy and not get divorced?
* Will their children have children?
* Will those children be Jewish and have a Bar Mitzvah or a Bat Mitzvah?
What are their top fears and frustrations- what keeps them up at night?
What makes them mad? What do they worry about?
* Having Jewish grandchildren raised in a stable home
* Range from closeness to Judaism and comfort with Judaism, to general fear of unknown and not knowing whom to trust
What are their top wants and desires? What’s the outcome that they really want in whatever area of their lives that we’re involved in? What are they really after? What is the end goal they think they want?
* Many think they want a big party
* Many want social status for themselves and their child
What does your product do or give your prospect that he or she doesn’t know about?
* Increases their child's knowledge
* Enables child to gain status in their community through knowledge
* Be noticed by other Jewish kids
* More likely to build commitment to Judaism and to marry a Jewish spouse
* More likely to raise kids as Jews
How did you find or create your product/solution?
* Early employee at Oracle Corporation
* Sabbatical (5 years) studying Bible in Israel
* Experienced Entrepreneur
* Built contacts with leaders in Israeli and American Jewry, particularly in Bible field
Seeking to help Bar Mitzvah children learn to read Torah and Haftorah (Prophets) to increase long-term Jewish retention.
List-Building 'Bribe' -- What Your Child Should Have (Reform)
Welcome to PLJ, a leading provider of Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah software for Reform Jews in the United States.
We believe that Judaism embodies values of pluralism and accessibility, while drawing upon centuries of tradition and wisdom.
What are the top five Jewish Items that you should own?
* A kiddish cup -- a designated cup used for making the blessing over wine to sanctify the Sabbath or Holiday.
* Candle sticks (preferably portable) -- special candle holders for placing Sabbath candles to be lit before Sunset on Friday.
* Talit -- a ritual prayer shawl worn when leading prayers in synagogue, many communities it is worn in prayer by adults
* Mezuza -- on the doorpost of your bedroom, and preferably, the main doorway into the house where you live.
* Tefillin -- special leather boxes and straps containing the inscription of the prayer of God's one-ness
What are the five top Jewish books you should own?
* Prayer Book (Siddur). Crib notes for communing with God, mixed with popular philosophy and poetry.
* Jewish Bible (Tanach) -- A Hebrew/English collection of the foundational stories and laws that formed the Jewish people
* Chumash (Five Books of Moses) -- Hebrew/English collection of Torah portions with the corresponding prophetic readings
* The Book of Our Heritage -- Teaches about the Jewish holidays and seasons, the meaning, the stories, and laws.
* Studies in the Weekly Portion, Nehama Leibowitz
Other really excellent Jewish books:
* The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning, Maurice Lamm.
* Practical Medical Halachah, Fred Rosner & Moshe Tendler
* The Challenge of Wealth: A Jewish Perspective on Earning and Spending Money, Meir Tamari.
* Machzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
* A Different Night (Passover Haggadah). Lots of questions, fewer answers, for people who like to talk.
* The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel. A philosophical and spiritual look at sacred time and Shabbat.
We believe that Judaism embodies values of pluralism and accessibility, while drawing upon centuries of tradition and wisdom.
What are the top five Jewish Items that you should own?
* A kiddish cup -- a designated cup used for making the blessing over wine to sanctify the Sabbath or Holiday.
* Candle sticks (preferably portable) -- special candle holders for placing Sabbath candles to be lit before Sunset on Friday.
* Talit -- a ritual prayer shawl worn when leading prayers in synagogue, many communities it is worn in prayer by adults
* Mezuza -- on the doorpost of your bedroom, and preferably, the main doorway into the house where you live.
* Tefillin -- special leather boxes and straps containing the inscription of the prayer of God's one-ness
What are the five top Jewish books you should own?
* Prayer Book (Siddur). Crib notes for communing with God, mixed with popular philosophy and poetry.
* Jewish Bible (Tanach) -- A Hebrew/English collection of the foundational stories and laws that formed the Jewish people
* Chumash (Five Books of Moses) -- Hebrew/English collection of Torah portions with the corresponding prophetic readings
* The Book of Our Heritage -- Teaches about the Jewish holidays and seasons, the meaning, the stories, and laws.
* Studies in the Weekly Portion, Nehama Leibowitz
Other really excellent Jewish books:
* The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning, Maurice Lamm.
* Practical Medical Halachah, Fred Rosner & Moshe Tendler
* The Challenge of Wealth: A Jewish Perspective on Earning and Spending Money, Meir Tamari.
* Machzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
* A Different Night (Passover Haggadah). Lots of questions, fewer answers, for people who like to talk.
* The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel. A philosophical and spiritual look at sacred time and Shabbat.
Product Launch Formula Sequence Example
In every classic launch, it is necessary to have four free pieces of content which are a mixture of a bribe and a sales message.
Our market niche is Bar Mitzvah training software for children in the ages 7 to 12, delivered over the internet using the software as a service model.
The chairman of our board, a veteran Bar Mitzvah tutor, and a member of Oracle's original technical team of ten people who wrote Oracle 1.0, suggested that the "bribe" be a book report evaluating what books are worthwhile for the kids to read.
In prelaunch content, it is useful to mix up a variety of free goodies. So, for example, the first piece of content ('bribe') can be a PDF report (which we email to their in-box as part of a double-opt-in process. I might save the user a step by allowing the PDF download itself to be the opt-in step. We will ask for their email address. The next screen we will ask their organizational affiliation, providing different reports for Reform than for Conservative.
Another alternative for a first piece of content ('bribe') is a Bar Mitzvah date calculator. The child enters the date of their planned Bar Mitzvah (or Bat Mitzvah). On the next screen, I ask for their name. I will explain that I will give them a "goodie" related to their name. I email them the listing of what the Torah and Haftorah readings are for that day, or use a click through where they download it from my site. Later, I email them click-through a match of their name if it appears in the bible, with an explanation of the religious significance, and some good traits that character had. Later, I provide a wiki for them to manage the assignment of aliyot blessings and torah readings, and haftorah. This increases their engagement, and builds my list by having them enter contact information for each of the participants. I would email a tikkun-version of the torah reading to each of the participants approximately 60 days prior to the reading. I would email the blessings to those assigned, about 30 days in advance.
Our market niche is Bar Mitzvah training software for children in the ages 7 to 12, delivered over the internet using the software as a service model.
The chairman of our board, a veteran Bar Mitzvah tutor, and a member of Oracle's original technical team of ten people who wrote Oracle 1.0, suggested that the "bribe" be a book report evaluating what books are worthwhile for the kids to read.
In prelaunch content, it is useful to mix up a variety of free goodies. So, for example, the first piece of content ('bribe') can be a PDF report (which we email to their in-box as part of a double-opt-in process. I might save the user a step by allowing the PDF download itself to be the opt-in step. We will ask for their email address. The next screen we will ask their organizational affiliation, providing different reports for Reform than for Conservative.
Another alternative for a first piece of content ('bribe') is a Bar Mitzvah date calculator. The child enters the date of their planned Bar Mitzvah (or Bat Mitzvah). On the next screen, I ask for their name. I will explain that I will give them a "goodie" related to their name. I email them the listing of what the Torah and Haftorah readings are for that day, or use a click through where they download it from my site. Later, I email them click-through a match of their name if it appears in the bible, with an explanation of the religious significance, and some good traits that character had. Later, I provide a wiki for them to manage the assignment of aliyot blessings and torah readings, and haftorah. This increases their engagement, and builds my list by having them enter contact information for each of the participants. I would email a tikkun-version of the torah reading to each of the participants approximately 60 days prior to the reading. I would email the blessings to those assigned, about 30 days in advance.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
"One Who Prayers for Another is Answered First" -- RT @ Don Crowther on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Blogs
Youtube has two thirds as many unique visitors as google.
Facebook has as many visits as google.
Don suggests tweeting 200 URLs over a 45 day period sending traffic to other people's links to build a reputation for expertise. He suggests drawing the content from the 500 top blogs in any particular niche.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Mastermind Group of Napoleon Hill applied to Product Launch Formula of Jeff Walker
When launching a new business or a new product, it is essential to have a team of diverse "star" players. A broad range of research has shown that startups with a talented cohesive diverse team of 5-6 core management team members has a substantially higher chance of success than smaller teams, yet larger teams gain little in terms of viability.
Harvard Business School has experimented with ways of increasing the productivity of its MBA students. A few years ago it mandated that each student be part of an administration-formed cross-section study group. (At HBS a section has approximately 90 people. Many classes take place by section. So, a cross section group enables each group member to speak up in class without their team members being present.) The HBS class has people with several types of work experience backgrounds such as finance industry, consulting, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. More than a third of the HBS class are women. Approximately a third come from outside of the United States.
So, for example, a seven member study group (typical size at HBS) would comprise:
* At least two women
* At least two non-U.S. citizens
* An average of 1.5 U.S. ethnic minorities
* At least one consultant
* At least two engineering backgrounds (maybe one as an Entrepreneur)
* One venture capitalist
* One to two Financial Services people
* 1 Healthcare/Biotech, Consumer Products, Non-Profit, or Military
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is by way of analogy, we need to compose a set of reasonable Mastermind groups. Many people study the product launch formula as a way to scale a then solo business. The building of a diverse cohesive Mastermind group will substantially increase the effectiveness of such launches, as well as create a community around the product launch formula enhancing its stickiness.
As I lack statistics on the breakdown of the product launch formula community, I will use the HBS statistics as a proxy when possible.
Here are my brainstorms on who should be in each six person group:
* Two women
* Four men
* Two with engineering or software backgrounds
* Two with MBA background
* Two with internet marketing experience or SEO
- One SEO expert
- One Internet Marketing
- Two Software specialists with diverse backgrounds
- Two consultants
* Balance those who have already achieved substantial success with the product launch formula, and those who have yet to experience revenues through the product launch formula.
* Balance, people with significant business success but lacking the drive and motivation to methodically apply the product launch formula, with those who possess the dedication and burning desire to apply the formula yet may lack that level of business success.
I welcome your comments with both more accurate group statistics, and suggestions for composition of a mastermind group.
Harvard Business School has experimented with ways of increasing the productivity of its MBA students. A few years ago it mandated that each student be part of an administration-formed cross-section study group. (At HBS a section has approximately 90 people. Many classes take place by section. So, a cross section group enables each group member to speak up in class without their team members being present.) The HBS class has people with several types of work experience backgrounds such as finance industry, consulting, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. More than a third of the HBS class are women. Approximately a third come from outside of the United States.
So, for example, a seven member study group (typical size at HBS) would comprise:
* At least two women
* At least two non-U.S. citizens
* An average of 1.5 U.S. ethnic minorities
* At least one consultant
* At least two engineering backgrounds (maybe one as an Entrepreneur)
* One venture capitalist
* One to two Financial Services people
* 1 Healthcare/Biotech, Consumer Products, Non-Profit, or Military
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is by way of analogy, we need to compose a set of reasonable Mastermind groups. Many people study the product launch formula as a way to scale a then solo business. The building of a diverse cohesive Mastermind group will substantially increase the effectiveness of such launches, as well as create a community around the product launch formula enhancing its stickiness.
As I lack statistics on the breakdown of the product launch formula community, I will use the HBS statistics as a proxy when possible.
Here are my brainstorms on who should be in each six person group:
* Two women
* Four men
* Two with engineering or software backgrounds
* Two with MBA background
* Two with internet marketing experience or SEO
- One SEO expert
- One Internet Marketing
- Two Software specialists with diverse backgrounds
- Two consultants
* Balance those who have already achieved substantial success with the product launch formula, and those who have yet to experience revenues through the product launch formula.
* Balance, people with significant business success but lacking the drive and motivation to methodically apply the product launch formula, with those who possess the dedication and burning desire to apply the formula yet may lack that level of business success.
I welcome your comments with both more accurate group statistics, and suggestions for composition of a mastermind group.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Eben Pagan Endorses Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula Saying it Brought Results for Eben Pagan
While sitting on Eben's list, I had been reading about many products with interesting stories (e.g. 'a great story from a friend'), that he thought the people were smart (e.g. 'smartest "networker"'), or people he paid lots of money (e.g. 'I've paid John as much as $1,250 for ONE HOUR').
However, the following email was the first time that Eben Pagan actually described how this is a product that significantly and measurably contributes to his success.
The "double guarantee" that Eben Pagan provides continues his appreciation of the attention economy where the customer expends time in evaluating an offering, and wants to have some guarantee that the time invested will be worthwhile even if the offering is not selected.
He also makes "Jeff's no-hassle 30-day money-back guarantee" feel more friendly. As though he was saying, try it, if you like it, wonderful; if not, we will still be friends. Maybe we can work together on something else; let's keep in touch.
Below, I have included Eben Pagan's actual email because I found it so persuasive.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The REAL story behind 3 of my product launches....
A lot of people ask me about what's possible when doing
an online product launch - so I thought I'd share an
interesting story about 3 of my product launches.
When I started my first online "information marketing"
business, I had never heard of a product launch... which
basically means that I didn't what you think of as a
"product launch."
Instead, I launched with "pay per click" marketing, then
affiliate marketing, etc. to build the business.
The result? It took me three YEARS to do a total of about
$2.1 Million in sales. Three years.
Not bad, really.
>>>LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN...
Then, a few years ago, when I decided to go into my
second niche, I used an "online product launch" model.
The result? I did about $2.7 Million in sales in a few
MONTHS. More sales, and ten times as fast.
>>>AND THEN AGAIN...
Fast forward to today. Last month, I did my latest online
product launch.
The result? Over $3 Million in sales in a few DAYS.
Again, more sales, and about ten TIMES as fast.
So what's the "moral" of the story?
The moral is that selling things online, and building a
business online has CHANGED. It's not the sames as it
was a few years ago.
And the new way to sell stuff online - especially when it
comes to information product, coaching and training is
the "Product Launch Formula."
So, you've obviously seen all of the talk going on about
Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula 3.0 launch. You
heard that there are now hundreds of millions of dollars
worth of product launches happening online - and big
success happening in every type of niche (including my
personal favorite: HORSE BALLET - really).
And you probably saw that I'm offering the best bonus
package we've ever done... worth $9,000... if you decide
to invest in Jeff's training... including:
>A ticket to any live event with me this year - valued at
$5,000
>A ticket to my live "GURU Traffic School" program -
valued at $2,500
>My "Print Persuasion Masterclass" advanced
copywriting and persuasion program - valued at $500
>My "Modern Marketing Masterclass" training - valued
at $1,000
Well how about this:
I'm so confident that you are going to love Jeff's training,
that I'm going to offer you my OWN guarantee on top of
Jeff's no-hassle 30-day money-back guarantee.
>>>MY DOUBLE GUARANTEE:
Invest in Jeff's Product Launch Formula training course,
and if you're not satisfied - and you ask for a refund, you
can KEEP all of the bonuses that I've listed above. All $9,000
worth of them.
All you have to do is TRY Jeff's course - and I think you'll
see that it's the most powerful innovation in online marketing
since the invention of email and search engines.
The only condition is that you must use my affiliate link
below to register (so I can send you your bonuses).
...
Remember: Jeff's course comes with a no-hassle money-
back guarantee. And I'm going to DOUBLE his guarantee by
allowing you to keep ALL of the bonuses you get from me,
even if you decide that Jeff's course isn't for you.
I've spoken live at all 3 of Jeff Walker's Product Launch
events - and I've done it for free. I believe in Jeff's Formula,
and I know that it can work for you, too.
>>>IMPORTANT: Jeff's registration closes down tomorrow -
Thursday - at Midnight Pacific.
However, the following email was the first time that Eben Pagan actually described how this is a product that significantly and measurably contributes to his success.
The "double guarantee" that Eben Pagan provides continues his appreciation of the attention economy where the customer expends time in evaluating an offering, and wants to have some guarantee that the time invested will be worthwhile even if the offering is not selected.
He also makes "Jeff's no-hassle 30-day money-back guarantee" feel more friendly. As though he was saying, try it, if you like it, wonderful; if not, we will still be friends. Maybe we can work together on something else; let's keep in touch.
Below, I have included Eben Pagan's actual email because I found it so persuasive.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The REAL story behind 3 of my product launches....
A lot of people ask me about what's possible when doing
an online product launch - so I thought I'd share an
interesting story about 3 of my product launches.
When I started my first online "information marketing"
business, I had never heard of a product launch... which
basically means that I didn't what you think of as a
"product launch."
Instead, I launched with "pay per click" marketing, then
affiliate marketing, etc. to build the business.
The result? It took me three YEARS to do a total of about
$2.1 Million in sales. Three years.
Not bad, really.
>>>LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN...
Then, a few years ago, when I decided to go into my
second niche, I used an "online product launch" model.
The result? I did about $2.7 Million in sales in a few
MONTHS. More sales, and ten times as fast.
>>>AND THEN AGAIN...
Fast forward to today. Last month, I did my latest online
product launch.
The result? Over $3 Million in sales in a few DAYS.
Again, more sales, and about ten TIMES as fast.
So what's the "moral" of the story?
The moral is that selling things online, and building a
business online has CHANGED. It's not the sames as it
was a few years ago.
And the new way to sell stuff online - especially when it
comes to information product, coaching and training is
the "Product Launch Formula."
So, you've obviously seen all of the talk going on about
Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula 3.0 launch. You
heard that there are now hundreds of millions of dollars
worth of product launches happening online - and big
success happening in every type of niche (including my
personal favorite: HORSE BALLET - really).
And you probably saw that I'm offering the best bonus
package we've ever done... worth $9,000... if you decide
to invest in Jeff's training... including:
>A ticket to any live event with me this year - valued at
$5,000
>A ticket to my live "GURU Traffic School" program -
valued at $2,500
>My "Print Persuasion Masterclass" advanced
copywriting and persuasion program - valued at $500
>My "Modern Marketing Masterclass" training - valued
at $1,000
Well how about this:
I'm so confident that you are going to love Jeff's training,
that I'm going to offer you my OWN guarantee on top of
Jeff's no-hassle 30-day money-back guarantee.
>>>MY DOUBLE GUARANTEE:
Invest in Jeff's Product Launch Formula training course,
and if you're not satisfied - and you ask for a refund, you
can KEEP all of the bonuses that I've listed above. All $9,000
worth of them.
All you have to do is TRY Jeff's course - and I think you'll
see that it's the most powerful innovation in online marketing
since the invention of email and search engines.
The only condition is that you must use my affiliate link
below to register (so I can send you your bonuses).
...
Remember: Jeff's course comes with a no-hassle money-
back guarantee. And I'm going to DOUBLE his guarantee by
allowing you to keep ALL of the bonuses you get from me,
even if you decide that Jeff's course isn't for you.
I've spoken live at all 3 of Jeff Walker's Product Launch
events - and I've done it for free. I believe in Jeff's Formula,
and I know that it can work for you, too.
>>>IMPORTANT: Jeff's registration closes down tomorrow -
Thursday - at Midnight Pacific.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
On Eben Pagan's Guru Mastermind Get Altitude List
On Mon, Mar 15, 2010, I joined Eben Pagan's Guru Mastermind Get Altitude List.
Eben Pagan's Guru Mastermind list is a pitch-fest with a subtle understanding of the attention economy.
I'll include my comments reflecting how I evaluated each affiliate offer. About 70% of Eben Pagan's emails that I received remained unopened until I wrote this post today.
What follows is intended for the Product Launch manager to better understand that challenges of Joint-Venture and internal launches by seeing a sample perspective of how someone evaluated a variety of offers over the course of several months.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The JV launches that occurred while I was on the list, included:
* FRANK KERN teaches "List Building" -- Interesting skill, not the core challenge in my business, can not tell if he is "real"
* HARVEY MACKAY "Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You" -- off topic, next
* John Carlton "Why COPYWRITING is so critical to business success..." -- How much you pay him is your business not mine, not clear why that skill is not learnable from one of several books on the topic, not clear that it is my core challenge in business
* Man "buys his own freedom"... salesautomator -- not clear from copy if Eben actually knows this guy or believes in him
* The smartest "networker" around... -- not clear what results he can deliver, not core challenge in my business
* Mike Filsaime, Viral Marketing software download -- I'll download open source software, still sitting on my computer, not sure what I'm able to do with it, will revisit if someone happens to explain it to me and it seems worthwhile
* "The secret psychology of PERSONALITY TYPES" -- Interesting. Target audience is probably human resource managers
* John Reese, '"Outsourcing" your work for $2 an HOUR?' -- Not relevant to my business doing what I do, difficult to manage
* "The REAL story behind 3 of my product launches...." -- This was the copy that showed concrete results from applying the endorsed product.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
People would ask Jeff Walker, how do people feel after such a pitch fest?
I felt that the trade off in time invested relative to value gained, assuming that I did not invest in any of the programs, was still reasonable from my point of view. If the topic was not interesting, I didn't open the mail. If the video was not compelling, I would abort and move on. If the video was interesting, I would listen and the speaker would gain respect in my eyes.
Probably three separate meetings, i.e. encounters with free video content, over the course of a week, evenly spaced, seem to build a feeling of connection, if there is a basic compatibility and attraction at the beginning.
Eben Pagan's Guru Mastermind list is a pitch-fest with a subtle understanding of the attention economy.
I'll include my comments reflecting how I evaluated each affiliate offer. About 70% of Eben Pagan's emails that I received remained unopened until I wrote this post today.
What follows is intended for the Product Launch manager to better understand that challenges of Joint-Venture and internal launches by seeing a sample perspective of how someone evaluated a variety of offers over the course of several months.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The JV launches that occurred while I was on the list, included:
* FRANK KERN teaches "List Building" -- Interesting skill, not the core challenge in my business, can not tell if he is "real"
* HARVEY MACKAY "Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You" -- off topic, next
* John Carlton "Why COPYWRITING is so critical to business success..." -- How much you pay him is your business not mine, not clear why that skill is not learnable from one of several books on the topic, not clear that it is my core challenge in business
* Man "buys his own freedom"... salesautomator -- not clear from copy if Eben actually knows this guy or believes in him
* The smartest "networker" around... -- not clear what results he can deliver, not core challenge in my business
* Mike Filsaime, Viral Marketing software download -- I'll download open source software, still sitting on my computer, not sure what I'm able to do with it, will revisit if someone happens to explain it to me and it seems worthwhile
* "The secret psychology of PERSONALITY TYPES" -- Interesting. Target audience is probably human resource managers
* John Reese, '"Outsourcing" your work for $2 an HOUR?' -- Not relevant to my business doing what I do, difficult to manage
* "The REAL story behind 3 of my product launches...." -- This was the copy that showed concrete results from applying the endorsed product.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
People would ask Jeff Walker, how do people feel after such a pitch fest?
I felt that the trade off in time invested relative to value gained, assuming that I did not invest in any of the programs, was still reasonable from my point of view. If the topic was not interesting, I didn't open the mail. If the video was not compelling, I would abort and move on. If the video was interesting, I would listen and the speaker would gain respect in my eyes.
Probably three separate meetings, i.e. encounters with free video content, over the course of a week, evenly spaced, seem to build a feeling of connection, if there is a basic compatibility and attraction at the beginning.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Get Altitude -- One Line That Changed My Life
In Eben Pagen's Get Altitude program he told the participants to mentor someone who was not fortunate enough to be able to afford to attend his seminar.
Thus, a very good person chose to share Get Altitude with me.
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